Created Equal

Since the Federal Highway Act, states across the nation have conceded a lot of land to cars and roads. Neighborhoods were destroyed and communities have been displaced as a result. The state of Michigan is working on a plan to redevelop the one-mile strip of I-375 in an effort to undo some of those harms. In her new book "City Limits" writer and author Megan Kimble details how Texas officials are doing the opposite by expanding them, despite a similar history of displacement. Kimble joins the show to discuss how Texas became so invested in its highways and how the construction will impact its residents.

Over the last 20 years, education experts have increasingly questioned whether standardized tests are the best way to measure how students perform — with many colleges and universities implementing "test-optional" admission policies. Today on Created Equal, we speak with education researcher Elaine Allensworth about America's affinity for test culture and the shortcomings that come with it.

The first – and maybe only – presidential debate of 2024 left little unexplored or undiscovered, but what did we really learn about Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump? Today on Created Equal, Michigan Public's Zoe Clark and former Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville join the show to discuss the key takeaways from the debate.

We know a lot about the profound poverty and isolation that confronts Detroiters every day. But what happens when that poverty affects families with pets? Today on Created Equal, we’ll talk with the CEO of Michigan Humane about how that institution tries to fill the gaps that arise when pets become threatened by the economic circumstances of their families. And we’ll hear how the needs of our pets tell us about the needs of our people in a city where the concepts of sufficiency are just not what they should be.  

Once dominated by non-local LLCs exploiting the system for quick returns, new data suggests that fewer outside investors are "milking" the system, and more Detroiters are taking advantage of opportunities to participate in Detroit’s recovery. Alex Alsup, VP of Research and Development for Regrid and author of the Substack “The Chargeback,” and Chase Cantrell, CEO of Building Community Value, joined Created Equal to discuss.

The "thick skin bias" is a belief that individuals who live in poverty are more resilient than affluent people when facing a challenging situation. The assumption could, as a result, influence the degree of support those who are struggling receive from others. Today on "Created Equal," Psychology professor Nathan Cheek helps us unpack the "thick skin bias," where it comes from, and why this assumption is the wrong one.

A family is suing Wayne County Judge Kenneth King after he ordered a teenager into jail clothes and handcuffs during a field trip at the courthouse. Dr. Rema-Vassar, a professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Wayne State University, called King's response to the incident inappropriate. She joins the show to talk about how a student's behavior in school can be a reflection of their circumstances at home.