John Sims is an artist, and a dear friend of The Church of Stop Shopping. Recently, John was roused from sleep at 2 AM by three white cops entering his apartment with guns drawn. This took place in Columbia, SC., where his AfroDixia exhibit is now installed, and he is artist-in-residence. John's speech to the Columbia City Council, in the days following the scare, is included in full in this radio show. The Columbia police chief claims to be a leader in working with people traditionally marginalized. And yet, he says the cops "followed department protocols". Really? Mistakenly entering a private bedroom and handcuffing the occupant is police policy? Police racism, toxic water and air, racist payment patterns from FEMA after storms, etc. etc... Black and brown people are subject to state-sanctioned violence which is often also crime against the Earth. John's exhibit "AfroDixia: A Righteous Confiscation" can be seen at the Center for Contemporary Arts. His work re-envisions confederate imagery and history. This is an image from his show