The war in Gaza is destroying crucial healthcare infrastructure for the people who live there and makes delivering a child more difficult for pregnant mothers. On this episode we hear about what life has been like for some of the most vulnerable people in Gaza. Gabrielle Berbey and Salman Ahad Khan reported the story of Lubna Rayyes — who was pregn…

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including new race and ethnicity categories added to the U.S. Census; the pros and cons of buying a home on a land contract in Detroit; UAW organizing efforts in the South and more.Bởi WDET

Workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. are voting whether to join the United Auto Workers union. If they vote to organize, the UAW will have made a significant step forward by unionizing workers in the south — something they’ve failed to accomplish twice before. Senior fellow at The Century Foundation Steven Greenhouse and Automotive N…

Predatory land contracts targeted low-income Detroiters following the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new report published in the journal "Housing Policy Debate." The report's co-author, Josh Akers, joins Stephen Henderson to discuss.Bởi WDET

Until now, Americans whose heritage is in the Middle East and North Africa have long been considered “white” by the U.S. Census. But beginning in 2030, they will have their own ethnic category. Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, joins "Created Equal" to discuss the change and what it means to Americans in those communiti…

A new Hispanic or Latino category with six additional options to specify ethnicity was approved for the next census form by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Maria Hinojosa, host of Latino USA, joins "Created Equal" to discuss the new category, immigration and what it all could mean.Bởi WDET

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including what Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tell us about the segregation of country music in America; a federal lawsuit claiming government buildings in Michigan violate disability rights; the importance of free play for kids and more.…

Active kids live better lives, so why is youth sports participation so low? Tom Farrey of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program and Dave Egner, President and CEO of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation join to talk about the path forward for increasing free play.Bởi WDET

A federal class action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County, the state of Michigan and the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority is alleging that several government buildings lack accessibility for those with disabilities. Today on the show, we speak with Michael Bartnik, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the case, and Outlie…

When Beyoncé released "Cowboy Carter" last month, the 22-song country album surprised and delighted music fans across genres, including pop, hip-hop and country. But what was so shocking about Beyoncé doing a country album in the first place? And what can we learn from the collective surprise and at times, indignation, that she would produce a coun…

Congress members in February collected enough signatures in the U.S. Senate to pass a bipartisan bill that would regulate social media use for kids, arguing the platforms could be bad for teen’s mental health. Danah Boyd, a Microsoft researcher and visiting professor at Georgetown, believes technology is not the real problem and that regulating soc…

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including a look into maternity care deserts and the loss of health care access for women; a new book from anthropologist Jason De León exploring the complicated practice of migrant smuggling; Detroit’s credit bump and more.Bởi WDET

Detroit’s credit rating is moving up — nearly 10 years after the bankruptcy — which means government operations are normalizing and avoiding irresponsible debt. However, many Detroit residents still struggle with limited opportunity and carry collective debts that put real strain on the city’s financial foundation. On today's show, we're joined by …

Just two years into Michigan’s experiment with citizen-drawn maps for the Legislature and Congress, a court-ordered redraw to address gerrymandering is finally finished for the state House, and voters will see the difference at the polls this spring and fall. Ben Solis, a reporter at Gongwer News Service, and Colin Jackson, state capitol reporter f…

Author and anthropologist Jason De León spent seven years documenting the lives of “coyotes,” or smugglers who help migrants leave their homes and head for America. He joined Stephen Henderson to talk about his new book, "Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling," and how political instability, poverty, climate change a…

What is causing a rise in maternity care deserts? Stefanie Worth from the nonprofit March of Dimes and Dr. Sonia Hassan from Wayne State University join Stephen Henderson to discuss why women’s access to health care is declining in the U.S.Bởi WDET

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, includingBởi WDET

Tonya Mosley is the host and co-producer of "She Has a Name," a personal story of loss and redemption, mending broken family ties, and facing the trauma experienced by countless individuals who've lost loved ones to violence. Tonya and co-producer Antonio Wiley join Stephen Henderson to share their story and discuss the podcast. Tonya Mosley is the…

The sports betting business is booming, and one of the side effects of this boom is the way sports betting is fueling a public health crisis. Dr. Shane Kraus is the director of the Behavorial Addictions Lab at UNLV, which conducts research on compulsive behaviors, including gambling. Saul Malek is a public speaker who educates the public on the per…

If you want to know what a governor is prioritizing for the year, look no further than their budget. On today's episode of "Created Equal," Monique Stanton, CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, joins Stephen Henderson to talk about Whitmer's budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year and what it tells us about her approach to equity and p…

Some assume that rural, urban and suburban areas have very different problems, but a recent book co-authored by University of Michigan professor Luke Shaefer examines — up close — some of the poorest parts of America, and what they have in common. Shaefer joins "Created Equal" to discuss his book, "The Injustice of Place," and how to address povert…

It's WDET's spring on-air fundraiser. We're going to take a break from posting podcasts this week, but you can still listen live weekdays 9-10 a.m. at WDET.org. We'll be back on the podcast feed on Monday, March 25. And if you want to support the show, become a member of WDET, Detroit Public Radio and tell them the Stephen Henderson sent you. Thank…

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom is ending no-knock warrants in the city, arguing they “do more harm than do good.” Winstrom joins the show today, along with violence historian Danielle McGuire, to discuss the modern-day impacts the practice has on communities.Bởi WDET

In February 2021, The Atlantic launched "Inheritance," a multi-year project about American history, Black life and the resilience of memory. On today’s episode of "Created Equal," Stephen Henderson revisits a conversation he had with the project's managing editor, Gillian B. White, and Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith, who contributed to the proje…

The Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously that Colorado couldn’t take Donald Trump off the ballot because of his participation in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. University of Michigan Law Professor Richard Primus returns to "Created Equal" to describe the Supreme Court's thinking behind the case, and why it may set a dangerous…

It seems like anyone who grew up with family in Detroit has heard of "the Numbers." This old-style gambling game originally from Harlem, New York, found it’s way to the Motor City in the early 20th century and became a mainstay for Black families. On today's episode of "Created Equal," Wayne State University professor Felicia George joins Stephen t…

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including research on Black victims of violent crime being disproportionately denied compensation; whether grant programs for nonprofits lead to prosperity and more.Bởi WDET

On today's episode of "Created Equal," we talk about how economic development can be more inclusive for Detroit's long-time, majority Black residents. Stephen is joined by Chase Cantrell, a Detroit resident and founder of the nonprofit Building Community Value, and Andre Perry, whose research at The Brookings Institution explores the Livernois-McNi…

More women are running for president now than in decades past, but the U.S. still hasn’t had a woman president. On today's episode of "Created Equal," we revisit a conversation from 2022 with NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent and author Ali Vitali about why women are often excluded from politics or denigrated within the political arena.…

Can grant programs for nonprofits lead to prosperity? Kim Trent, deputy director for prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) joins Stephen Henderson to make the case for bipartisan anti-poverty programs with the goal of making Michigan a more prosperous state.Bởi WDET

Victim compensation is a lesser-known part of the criminal justice system. University of Michigan professor Jeremy Levine had not heard of it until he needed to use it himself, after he was shot in the leg and needed assistance paying his hospital bill. In doing his own research, he discovered that Black victims were disproportionately denied for b…

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including the push to rotate the states that vote early in presidential primaries, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe on her new book and how historically Black colleges and universities add value to the world and more.Bởi WDET

What does the “uncommitted” vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary mean for President Biden in November? Abbas Alawieh from the Listen to Michigan campaign joins Stephen Henderson to discuss the groups reasons for voting “uncommited.” Plus, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and Abed Hammoud, founder of the Arab American Political Action Committee, add their …

The Founding Fathers originally left the right to vote out of the Constitution. On today’s episode of "Created Equal," host Stephen Henderson revisits a conversation from the WDET Book Club with two voting rights experts, Bertrall Ross and Theodore Johnson, about why the omission has made access to the ballot box a constant struggle for Black voter…

Ayesha Rascoe is a graduate of Howard University and a regular voice on NPR. In her new book, “HBCU Made,” she recruits distinguished graduates of historically Black colleges and universities to share their accounts enrolling and attending their schools. On this episode of "Created Equal," Stephen talks to Rascoe about her experiences and how these…

Michigan’s presidential primary is on Tuesday, Feb. 27. That’s a lot earlier than previous years, making the state among the first to hold primaries in the race. What does the change mean for Michigan and the nation — especially in a presidential primary that has two candidates who seem to have their nominations locked up already? U.S. Rep. Debbie …

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, from setting the historical record straight on Black invention in America, to Detroit’s scrapyard problem, the consequences of omitting America’s racial history and more.Bởi WDET

Nikki Haley was criticized for omitting slavery when she was asked about the cause of the civil war but has since walked her statement back. On today’s episode of Created Equal, Stephen talks with Princeton African American studies professor Eddie Glaude about what caused the civil war and how revising or omitting that history impacts all of us.…

For centuries immigration has been synonymous with the United States, but what do the country’s founding documents actually say about who can and can’t enter the country? On today's show, we revisit a conversation from the WDET Book Club about whether the constitution has the power to influence immigration policy.…

Scrapyards have always been commonplace in Detroit. Just drive down any of the city's major thoroughfares and you can see them. While these small businesses play an integral part of the city's economy, they pose a number of negative health impacts for residents who live near them. In today's show, Detroit News reporter Sarah Rahal and Laprisha Berr…

Black Americans have largely been left out of the story of American invention. In the north and south, patents from Black inventors tell a different story about innovation and U.S. history.Andre Perry is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His recent work dives into the world of American Invention, and takes a look at how discrimination a…

Today on "Created Equal," we share highlights from this week's episodes, including the rediscovering of Indigenous American history; voting rights; Michigan's political maps and moreBởi WDET

Michigan’s legislative maps have been drawn, and re-drawn, several times by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in the last year. The commission is redrawing the districts to comply with an order from the federal court in late 2023, which found the maps violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Ben Solis joins…

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, founding director of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, and Luke Shaefer, director of University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions initiative, are raising funds for a program that aims to do something that has never been tried before in the U.S.: end childhood poverty. The new program, Rx Kids, will provide every pregnant…

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this past week on Donald Trump’s eligibility to be on the 2024 presidential ballot in Colorado. The 14th amendment prevents someone who participated in an insurrection from running for president. But, could removing Trump from the ballot in Colorado set a precedent that deprives voters of their choices, now an…

The history of the United States is intertwined with the history of Native Americans, but it’s not always told that way. On this episode, Stephen talks with Yale history professor and native Detroiter Ned Blackhawk about how his latest book, “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” takes a different approach.…

We share highlights from this week's "Created Equal" episodes, including reparations for Black Detroiters, white rage in America and more.Bởi WDET

Detroit historian and author Ken Coleman joins "Created Equal" to discuss what local efforts are being made in Detroit on reparations for Black residents. Plus, it's the first episode featuring caller feedback.Bởi WDET

Stephen Henderson revisits a conversation with Carol Anderson, the author of the New York Times bestseller, "White Rage: The unspoken truth of our nation’s divide."Bởi WDET

Many cities across the U.S. are exploring the idea of reparations, and Detroit is one of them. The city created the Detroit Reparations Task Force in February 2023 to better address historical discrimination and harm done against Black Detroiters. In this episode of "Created Equal," host Stephen Henderson was joined by two steering committee member…