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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Created Equal
Defining Mike Duggan's legacy in Detroit

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced last week that he will not seek reelection in 2025, ending a 12-year run that saw Detroit exit bankruptcy and begin the climb back to stability. Anika Goss, CEO of Detroit Future City, joins Created Equal along with journalists John Gallagher and Darren Nichols to discuss what has happened over the last decade of Duggan's leadership and what awaits the city's next leader. 

00:50:20
Nov 18, 2024 3:24 PM
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More Episodes

Created Equal
Weekly recap: Unpacking Michigan’s election results; next steps for Democrats and more

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including conversations about Michigan’s Election Day turnout, the future of the Democratic Party in the wake of Trump’s victory and more.

00:50:30
Nov 15, 2024 1:7 PM
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Created Equal
How middle-class concerns helped drive the election's outcome

Jeremy Hobson, host of the national NPR call-in show "The Middle," returns to Created Equal to reflect on how the American middle class and middle-class issues played a significant role in the 2024 presidential election. 

 

00:50:16
Nov 14, 2024 4:48 PM
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Created Equal
Unpacking Michigan's Election Day turnout

Michigan set a record in the 2024 election. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that 79% of eligible voters in the state cast their ballots — the highest turnout in the state's history. However, turnout in Detroit decreased — and nationwide, nearly 13 million voters stayed home. The efforts to expand voter rolls are working, but why aren't they connecting in places like Detroit? Mario Marrow, political consultant and president of Mario Marrow and Associates, and Brady Baybeck, professor of political science at Wayne State University, join Created Equal to discuss what happened, and what it means for our democracy going forward.

00:50:21
Nov 13, 2024 2:53 PM
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Created Equal
What now for the Democratic Party?

Democrats were on the blunt end of a very strong message on Election Day, as Donald Trump flipped many parts of the country and some traditionally Democratic constituencies to win another term in the White House. What’s the lesson for the party going forward? Representative Debbie Dingell and political strategist Jamal Simmons join the show to discuss the future of the Democratic party in the wake of a Trump victory.

00:50:18
Nov 12, 2024 5:37 PM
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Created Equal
How is education status affecting American politics?

College-educated voters are moving dramatically into the ranks of the Democratic Party, attracted by the party’s views on subjects like diversity and inclusion. And less educated voters are flocking to the Republican Party, drawn by its skepticism of cultural change. The authors of "Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics," Matt Grossman and David Hopkins, join the show to talk about the ways that higher education status reflects — and influences — the American political landscape.

00:50:30
Nov 11, 2024 11:23 AM
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Created Equal
Is Michigan still a 'blue wall' state?

Although Michigan has historically been a “blue wall” state, we saw several Republican victories here in this week’s elections. Michigan Public Political Director Zoe Clark, Michigan Public Radio Network Capitol Reporter Colin Jackson, and Detroit News Politics Editor Chad Livengood join the show to discuss the results of Michigan election races and what they mean for the future of the state. 

00:50:20
Nov 8, 2024 4:34 PM
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Created Equal
Examining the future of conservative politics under Trump

Voters have chosen Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. But what does the Republican Party look like now, with the many defections that have taken place in the Trump era? Today on Created Equal, Stephen Henderson is joined by Shikha Dalmia, president of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism; Andrea Bitely, a political and communications strategist at Bitely Communications; and Fred Upton, a former U.S. Rep from Michigan, to discuss the future of conservative politics and the Republican Party.

00:50:20
Nov 7, 2024 6:53 PM
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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 12:29 PM
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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 5:14 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 9:38 AM
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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 4:2 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 4:26 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 30, 2024 10:8 PM
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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 8:50 AM
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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 3:55 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 5:39 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 9:46 AM
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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 5:50 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 6:20 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 2:43 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 2:40 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 7:56 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 7:8 PM
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