In this episode of Equitable Wellness, Jarid Polite and I finally hold the mental health conversation direly needed to be expressed en masse within the unique marching arts activity. The founder and artistic director of the Melanin Mosaic Performance Ensemble dials in from Toronto to talk all things color guard and care: from representation, artistry, and education to the mental health struggles that are ready to take the stage. Our podcast conversation takes us from inner-city ‘90s New York to Uganda and back, touching on the silences of burnout, trauma, abuse, financial barriers, ageism, and abelism within a community art form that we are evolving for pleasure, joy, equity & creativity well beyond traditional pageantry competition.

Get to know Jarid—whose grandmother, aunt, mother, and father all had involvement with the activity—and learn about the Melanin Mosaic’s March Forward Wellness Initiative, designed to create systems of care, mental health, and wellness for all performance members of the marching community: past, present, and future.

A full transcript and show notes are available on the blog at shaynagrajo.com/podcast

People & Mentions

Jarid Polite · Melanin Mosaic Performance Ensemble · Cadets of First Baptist Church of Crown Heights · DCI (Drum Corpos International) · “Drumline” (film) · HBCU Community (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) · WGI (Winter Guard International) · Dayton Black Dance Company · Dayton Ballet Company · Black Lives Matter Movement · Reddit · 1990s New York City marching arts environment · March Forward Wellness Initiative · National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) · Megan Yankee · MAASIN · U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health · RISE Group · Santa Clara Vanguard · Atlanta National Civil Rights Museum · Dr. Martin Luther King

About Jarid Polite

Jarid Polite is the founder and artistic director of Melanin Mosaic Performance Ensemble—a growing collective that reimagines the marching arts through storytelling, movement, and representation. Guided by his deep love for movement, film, music, and theater, Jarid blends disciplines to create experiences that speak to both heart and heritage. His work celebrates the brilliance of the African diaspora while exploring what mental health looks like within the marching and performance community. Grounded in empathy and care for others, his mission is simple: to create art that moves, heals, and builds community. Read more here → melaninmosaicpe.com

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