Created Equal

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.