Michael Harney 2An interview with WNCAP’s Michael Harney, a.k.a. “The Rubberman”

by Johnnie Grant

I have wanted to interview you for a while now. Please tell us some of your background history.

I was born and raised in the Hampton/Newport News area of Virginia – it was called the Peninsula – near Virginia Beach and Norfolk. I came to Asheville in 1992 after my best friend Tricia asked me to help paint her house and build a garden. We both studied at Belmont Abbey College near Charlotte.

I got a job at what used to be Gold’s Gym and met lots of people from the community through my boss and great friend Jerry Adell. Tricia saw an ad for a position in the language lab at A-B Tech in 1993. I applied and got it, and began teaching Spanish there in 1994. Some people today only know me as Miguel,  the Spanish teacher.

How did you become fluent in Spanish?

I spent a year in Costa Rica as an exchange student during my college experience. I had taken Spanish before college and ran across an opportunity to study at the University of Costa Rica in San José. I still teach at A-B Tech and at Blue Ridge Community College too. I love both jobs and have met so many wonderful people from throughout the region.

Michael Harney teaches at A-B Tech, and at Blue Ridge Community College.  Photo: Urban News
Michael Harney teaches at A-B Tech, and at Blue Ridge Community College. Photo: Urban News

Tell us about your work with the Western North Carolina AIDS Project.

That started in 1993. It is sort of like that skit from In Living Color, where the family members all had three or four jobs. I went to make a donation to WNCAP and the guy that I met was Marty Prairie. He accepted my donation and then noticed I had a pick-up truck (1986 Toyota), that I still drive today. Marty asked if I could do some volunteer work helping clients of WNCAP – which I was glad to do.

Thereafter, he asked if I wanted a job doing street and bar outreach and prevention education. I didn’t know exactly what that was, but I am always interested in learning and finding out about a new job, so I took it.

He taught me everything I could ever have wanted to know about HIV/AIDS, and more. It was in that year that people in the community began to call me the Rubberman. Not because I am flexible – I always joke – but because I distribute condoms for WNCAP. For example, last year we distributed more than 148,000 condoms around town. You may have seen a bowl or basket with condoms in it at a local business. That would be where some of them have been distributed.

You took out an advertisement in the August and September issues of The Urban News. Why?

I am all about the vote. I appreciate the stance of The Urban News and its effort to educate and activate our community! I am a true believer that my/our voice can and must be heard, and that my/our vote does count towards getting in elected offices the best representatives to make life better for all of us.

I am especially pleased to share with ex-felons that after they have completed their sentence, including probation or parole, North Carolina automatically restores their right to vote. See North Carolina General Statutes 13-1 and 13-2. It says so right on the North Carolina Voter Registration Application under “Qualifications.”

To me, we each have a civic duty to vote. No excuses in my view, except if one is in surgery during early voting or on Election Day, or in a coma. We really have to step up. I am willing to invest in the message of that ad and hope it gets people motivated to participate this October and November, and in future elections; local, statewide, and national!

We could talk for hours more. Can community members get in touch with you if they have further questions?

Sure. My full-time job is at the Western North Carolina AIDS Project. We have a page in this paper every other month. Our website is www.wncap.org, or you may reach me by calling (828) 252-7489 and asking for Michael Harney (Miguel or the Rubberman).

I always welcome a call or questions from anyone. To schedule educational sessions or testing we would just have to coordinate our calendars.

Gracias Miguel.

Mucho gusto. My pleasure.


Western North Carolina AIDS Project offers case management for people living with HIV or AIDS, and provides free HIV and Hepatitis C testing, as well as educational sessions upon request.
Numerous volunteer opportunities and ways to participate in legislative and community advocacy can be found at www.wncap.org.