Last week The Compound in Madison had a very special visitor who came in to not only get in a solid baseball training session but also to discuss his new venture as an ambassador for Acclinate, which powers the #NOWINCLUDED movement.
New York Mets Catcher Bruce Maxwell
Current New York Mets Catcher Bruce Maxwell, a Huntsville native, says that he knew he wanted to be a part of what Acclinate is doing because he “stands for all of the same things that they do.”
A couple of months ago, All Things Madison shared about Acclinate, which is is co-founded by a Bob Jones High School graduate. Acclinate is designed to help biopharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations achieve the most representative research sample by expanding their genomic studies and clinical trials to include diverse ethnic groups. If you missed that article, you can read it here.
Maxwell shared that he stands for “the equality and inclusion for all, whether that be in sports, healthcare, etc.”
“Being a bi-racial baseball player has been hard for me at times,” he shared. “I’ve been excluded for what I look like.”
Maxwell says that being an ambassador for something like Acclinate is “awesome because it started right here at home.”
The Sparkman High School graduate made national headlines in 2017 when he became the first major league baseball player to take a knee during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Though the years since taking that action have been an ebb and flow of ups and downs, Maxwell says that movements like #NOWINCLUDED are “big steps in the right direction”.
The #NOWINCLUDED movement within Acclinate strives to make sure that all races are included in clinical trials and research and works to educate and encourage minorities to ask questions and be their own best advocate for their health and future.
“People underestimate the power of just ‘knowing'”, shared Maxwell. “Understanding your rights as a person and as a citizen is a huge piece of the puzzle.”
As far as what else he sees happening in the Madison area, he says that it’s thrilling to come home and see the progress as far as sports facilities and training options go.
“The is my first time to come home and really train,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to see something like this here that gives back and trains other kids in sports. It’s a cool place.”
More from Madison
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Bob Jones Alum on a Mission as Co-Founder and CDO of Acclinate
