Created Equal

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. Thanks, see you next week!

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.

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 project.

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 precedent for future elections.

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 to talk about her new book, "When Detroit Played the Numbers," and what side-hustle gambling meant to Black Detroiters in those days.

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.

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-McNichols corridor and how investments there have not moved Black people out.

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.

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 benefits in many states for subjective reasons. On today's episode, Levine joins Stephen Henderson to explain what victim compensation is and why this discrepancy exists.

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.

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 perspective.

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 voters.

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 institutions' impact goes beyond its graduates.

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 Dingell (D-Michigan) and political commentator Jamal Simmons join the show to discuss.

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.

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 Berry Daniels, executive director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, join Stephen Henderson to talk about how such places affect Detroiters’ health.

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 affected Black inventors differently in the North and South. He spoke with Stephen Henderson about why it matters to the American notions of innovation and exceptionalism. How does race play into the way we think of our history of invention?