Shalom Kato Joins ACLU of South Dakota as Advocacy Intern

Shalom Kato has joined the ACLU of South Dakota’s advocacy department as a summer intern.

During her internship, Kato will develop substantive skills and professional experience through on-the-job learning. She will work alongside ACLU advocacy staff on a variety of issues and will assist in advancing civil liberties and civil rights ahead of the 2026 midterm election. As an advocacy intern, she will support the chapter’s voting rights and civic engagement efforts through research, advocacy, community outreach, and collaboration with coalition partners, stakeholders, and student organizations.

“Shalom’s experience and educational background, interest in political advocacy, and commitment to civil liberties made her a natural fit for our advocacy internship,” said Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager. “Shalom will be a vital contributor to our work, and we’re excited to help her grow and further develop her advocacy skills.”

Kato, a Sioux Falls native and graduate of Lincoln High School, is a junior political science major and human rights minor at the University of Chicago. While at UChicago, Kato has served in many different leadership roles on and off campus, including project coordinator of the Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Committee for UChicago’s student government, staff writer of the UChicago Undergraduate Law Magazine, and fellowship ambassador for the Wanxiang Corporation in Hangzhou, China. Through her academic work and advocacy, she is passionate about women’s rights, free speech, and human rights.

“Now more than ever, the ACLU’s unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of all people is vital to the health of our democracy and to the well-being of communities whose rights are most at risk,” Kato said. “The ACLU’s advocacy work is essential for creating change in our state. It is a privilege to be a part of this work alongside our incredible partners and the growing number of volunteers committed to protecting the rights of their neighbors.”

About the ACLU of South Dakota

The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is a chapter and program of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights.

The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women and LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of South Dakota carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of South Dakota.