Samantha Chapman is the advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota.
As advocacy manager, Samantha builds the ACLU’s public education and advocacy programs through coalition-building, leadership development, communication, and lobbying. She ensures that supporters of the ACLU of South Dakota have the tools, information, and opportunities to be effective advocates on issues like abortion rights, Indigenous justice, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit rights.
Samantha joined the ACLU of South Dakota in December 2022 with six years of professional advocacy and health care communications experience.
Throughout her career, Samantha has advocated for abortion access, pregnancy and breastfeeding workplace accommodations, and rights for immigrants and refugees. She co-founded South Dakota Voices for Peace in 2017, and served as the Sioux Falls market public information officer at Sanford Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining the ACLU, Samantha worked as the communications director for South Dakota Urban Indian Health, where she deepened her understanding of the original caretakers of the land she lives on, developing her passion for Indigenous rights and celebrating Lakota culture.
Samantha lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. Outside of her professional work, she serves on her neighborhood association board of directors and finds joy in cooking, reading, playing chess, and ballet.
