Created Equal

Created Equal

Hosted by Stephen Henderson, Created Equal is about the promise of opportunity and the challenge of inequality from the city that built America — Detroit.

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Most Recent Episode

Created Equal
What do the election results say about American voters? 

Nancy Kaffer of the Detroit Free Press, former Michigan Senator Randall Richardville, and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne join the show to discuss Donald Trump's reelection, local races in Michigan and in Detroit, and what this election says about voters, their preferences, and the state of the country. 

00:50:23
Nov 6, 2024 5:29 PM
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More Episodes

Created Equal
Is America's democracy on the ballot?

Election Day is finally here. American democracy has persisted for more than two centuries, and the importance of the results of this year’s election has been touted by both sides of the political aisle. Today on Created Equal, award-winning journalist Desiree Cooper and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens join the show to discuss how they feel about American democracy and what they are keeping in mind as they cast their ballots.

00:50:30
Nov 5, 2024 10:14 PM
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Created Equal
Previewing Election Day in Michigan

As of Nov. 4, nearly two million absentee ballots have been returned and just over 1.2 million ballots have been cast during early voting in Michigan. Voters who have not yet cast their ballots have one day remaining to do so. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins Created Equal to explain how she prepared for the new voting processes in Michigan. Plus, reporters Rick Pluta and Russ McNamara discuss how the statewide and presidential races are playing out in Michigan. 

00:50:18
Nov 4, 2024 2:38 PM
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Created Equal
Weekly recap: Video game unions; election distrust and more

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including new efforts to unionize video game industry workers; the connection between early voting and election distrust and more.

00:50:30
Nov 1, 2024 8:2 PM
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Created Equal
How to manage election-related stress

With just a few days left before the 2024 presidential election, many people are feeling at least a little bit stressed – by the deluge of ads and information about the election, by the deep division that is represented in the campaign and on the ballot, or by a sense of fatigue. Psychiatrist Arash Javanbakht and clinical psychologist Rheeda Walker join the show to talk about election-related stress, how much worse it has gotten and how we can manage it a bit better.

00:50:20
Oct 31, 2024 8:26 PM
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Created Equal
How early voting affects voter turnout and election distrust

David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and University of Michigan-Dearborn political science professor Dale Thomson join Created Equal to discuss how early voting improves election integrity, despite misinformation saying otherwise.

00:50:20
Oct 31, 2024 2:8 AM
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Created Equal
Organized labor could level up the video game industry

Video games are a huge part of American culture and a largely profitable industry. But even as the industry booms, many workers have very little job security and work unimaginable hours. These circumstances have led to new efforts to unionize these workers to give them stronger workplace protections. Nicole Carpenter, a senior reporter at Polygon who covers labor issues in the games industry, and Johanna Weststar, an associate professor at Western University, joins Created Equal to discuss the effects of unionization on the video game industry. 

00:50:30
Oct 28, 2024 12:50 PM
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Created Equal
Weekly recap: Christian nationalism in America; Michigan’s teacher shortage and more

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including the impact of white Christian nationalism on American history and democracy; Michigan’s teacher shortages in K-12 schools and more.

00:50:30
Oct 25, 2024 7:55 PM
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Created Equal
Who will Black conservatives support this election? 

Despite often being a loyal voting bloc for Democrats, Black Americans are politically diverse. Garrison Hayes, a journalist for Mother Jones and the Reveal podcast, has been spending some of this year talking to Black Republicans to determine what draws them to the GOP — and, in many cases, to Donald Trump. He joined Created Equal on Thursday to discuss the motivation behind their votes, and what they hope to gain from this election.

00:50:20
Oct 24, 2024 9:39 PM
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Created Equal
K-12 teacher shortages in Michigan

Teachers in classrooms are dealing with an especially tough set of circumstances. Many are dealing with the after effects of the pandemic on student mental health and taking responsibility for keeping kids safe from violence. A panel of educational professionals join Created Equal to discuss the teacher shortage in Michigan, its effect on students, and some possible solutions.

00:50:15
Oct 23, 2024 1:46 PM
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Created Equal
Christian nationalism and the hidden roots of white supremacy in America

Robert P. Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute and author of "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future," joins Created Equal to discuss the impact of white Christian nationalism on American history and democracy. Jones will be giving a talk on democracy, social values and the American story at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 23-24, at the University of Detroit Mercy.

00:50:30
Oct 22, 2024 9:50 PM
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Created Equal
WSU official on efforts to improve graduation rates among Black students

For 12 years, Wayne State University has seen a steady increase in the number of Black student graduates. University officials attribute that success to support programs put in place to improve retention and graduation rates, particularly for low-income and minority students. But in 2023, the six-year graduation rate for Black students at WSU fell eight percentage points — roughly 20%. Today on Created Equal, we talk with Dr. Darryl Gardner, a vice provost who oversees the university’s efforts to increase student success, about what happened, and what the university is doing about it. 

00:50:30
Oct 21, 2024 10:20 AM
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Created Equal
Why Canadians are watching the US presidential election closely

Host of CBC Radio’s The National and Cross Country Checkup Ian Hanomansing, joins Created Equal ahead of his live call-in special broadcasting from WDET on Sunday, Oct. 20, to discuss how Canadian politics are changing and how they mirror those in the United States.

00:50:30
Oct 18, 2024 6:43 PM
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Created Equal
Conservative politics and the ‘False White Gospel’ 

Preacher Jim Wallis, author of “The False White Gospel,” joins the show to talk about why Christian values are at odds with White Christian nationalism in the United States. 

00:50:31
Oct 16, 2024 6:40 PM
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Created Equal
Reactions to this week's Michigan US Senate debate

Dennis Darnoi, founder of political consulting firm Densar Consulting, and Michigan Public Political Director Zoe Clark join the show to break down the final debate between Michigan U.S. Senate candidates U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.

00:50:15
Oct 15, 2024 11:56 AM
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Created Equal
Weekly recap: Reflections on Oct. 7; community land trusts and more

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including reflections on the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel and the Arab American diaspora; neighborhoods in Detroit starting community land trusts and more.

00:50:30
Oct 11, 2024 11:8 PM
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Created Equal
Can collective land ownership help fix affordable housing in Detroit?

Neighborhoods across Detroit are starting community land trusts; nonprofits run by community members that own property in the area. Jerry Hebron, executive director of the Detroit Cultivator Community Land Trust in Detroit's North End neighborhood; and Mark Bennett, staff attorney at the Detroit Justice Center, joined Created Equal to explain how community land trusts work and what they might do for Detroiters. 

00:50:18
Oct 10, 2024 9:48 PM
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Created Equal
Reflecting on Arab American grief in the diaspora

One year since the Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, countless more displaced and injured. More than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed in escalating war. James Zogby from the Arab American Institute and Diana Abouali from the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn join Stephen Henderson to reflect on how a year of war in Gaza and now Lebanon is affecting Arab Americans.

00:50:19
Oct 9, 2024 9:52 PM
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Created Equal
Metro Detroit Jewish leaders reflect on Oct. 7, one year later

Exactly one year ago, more than 1,200 Israelis were killed by forces of the terrorist organization Hamas, and more than 200 were taken hostage into Gaza. Metro Detroit is home to a large and flourishing Jewish community that is still trying to make sense of what happened last October and the ongoing violence and growing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Today on Created Equal, Downtown Synagogue Rabbi Ariana Silverman and David Kurzmann from Jewish Federation of Detroit join the show to share their thoughts and reflections a year after the Hamas attack on Israel.

00:50:14
Oct 7, 2024 4:49 PM
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Created Equal
Weekly recap: Black roots of country music; Ford’s BlueOval City and more

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including a dive into Detroiter Alice Randall’s new memoir, “My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future”; Ford’s “BlueOval City” electric vehicle manufacturing complex in Tennessee and more.

00:50:31
Oct 4, 2024 10:44 PM
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Created Equal
Experts discuss what it takes to win a political debate

JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off on Tuesday in what will likely be the last debate of the 2024 presidential election. It was surprisingly substantive and civil, but how do you judge a candidate’s performance? Ronald Stevenson, a professor of forensic debate at Wayne State University, and political strategist Dennis Darnoi join Created Equal to discuss how formal debates are won and whether political debates are judged in the same way. 

00:50:17
Oct 3, 2024 12:5 PM
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Created Equal
'BlueOval City' EV complex promises jobs but residents want more input

The rural landscape of West Tennessee is undergoing a massive change. Ford’s “BlueOval City” electric vehicle manufacturing complex spans six square miles and is expected to bring 6,000 jobs to the area. That kind of economic development would be the envy of many states, including Michigan, but some residents are asking Ford to adopt a community benefits agreement.

WDET received the following statement from Ford community relations director Gabby Bruno after recording this episode:

“Ford and Ford Philanthropy are committed to our community initiatives because we want residents in every community neighboring BlueOval City to benefit as the campus comes to life. I look forward to introducing our Good Neighbor Plan, developed with the help of resident input and the community leaders who make up our Equitable Growth Advisory Council.”

00:50:30
Oct 1, 2024 3:58 PM
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Created Equal
Detroiter's new memoir details Black roots of country music
Just before the dawn of Motown in 1959 in Detroit, Alice Randall was born. She grew up to have a long and successful career as a songwriter for some of the biggest American country artists. That story — rich with struggle and nuance and joy — is the subject of her latest book, "My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future." It’s a fascinating look at the profound but ignored overlap between the history of Black music and country music in America.
 
Randall joined Created Equal on Monday to discuss that intersection and how growing up in Detroit influenced her songwriting.
00:50:30
Sep 30, 2024 1:14 PM
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Created Equal
Weekly recap: The cost of Texas’ expanding highways; financial burden of child care

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including a new book detailing the community ripple effects of Texas’ ever-expanding highways; and the cost of child care for both parents and child care workers.

00:50:29
Sep 27, 2024 11:5 PM
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