This tape features raw footage for the documentary "None of the Above," an in-depth ethnographic look at non voters in the U.S. In this video, non voter Michael Johnson speaks about his life, work, and reasons for choosing not to vote.
00:00Copy video clip URL Black.
00:10Copy video clip URL Michael Johnson is in his apartment, looking through his cassettes.
02:00Copy video clip URL Johnson on the phone.
03:40Copy video clip URL Johnson does push ups to Kirk Franklin and the family church music.
08:30Copy video clip URL Johnson explains to Beverly that Channel 11 (PBS) is taping him and his daily activities for the show “None of the above.”
14:45Copy video clip URL Children walk down the street on their way to the park. Cameraman asks them to act like the camera is not there.
17:00Copy video clip URL Cut to Howard Area Community Center. Sound of sirens. Neighbors walking around and standing on street corners.
17:40Copy video clip URL Cut to driving down LakeShore Drive.
18:15Copy video clip URL Cuts back to North Side.
20:00Copy video clip URL Cuts to Johnson who types a letter from his word processor on Bulls paper.
25:00Copy video clip URL Johnson is asked: what do you think of the government? “The government is like your parents, they’re supposed to know what’s good for you,” he says.
28:29Copy video clip URL Johnson: “It’s important to learn your history because that tells you where you’re going, to me.”
32:15Copy video clip URL Johnson: “The computer is our future. If you’re illiterate to the computer then you need to know more about it. Take some courses because that’s what’s happening for the future. You need to know what’s going on with the e-mail, telecommunications, and just word processing.”
39:00Copy video clip URL Videomaker Skip Blumberg asks Johnson if he has any big hopes and dreams. “No, I gave up on the 40 acres and the mule a long time ago. I just want to live [comfortably] and just take care of what’s around me: the people in my life. The big house and the car, no that’s not mine. That’s not my dream. Not anymore.”
41:00Copy video clip URL Johnson: “They say religion is for people that are trying to keep from going to Hell. Spirituality is for people that have already been there. I do believe I’ve seen a little Hell on earth in my day. Growing up with the violence and the drugs, watching people die and get killed. Your own family members leave. That’s about as hellish as I want to know.”
43:00Copy video clip URL He talks about Beverly, 34. He met her at a dance and they’ve been friends ever since.
52:00Copy video clip URL Beverly voted to increase hourly wages, minimum wage. She doesn’t talk to Johnson about voting. She didn’t know that he didn’t vote in the last election. She thinks it’s his own choice. He says, “In a way I’m boycotting voting because it’s not even worth my time.” Beverly thinks you should vote for something.
55:00Copy video clip URL They pick up Johnson’s daughter and go to the park. Johnson shoots hoops with men at the park.
1:02:51Copy video clip URL End of ta
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