I am coming to realize that the way I study Race and Politics, Black Politics, and Urban Politics in the American context is flawed in at least one important way. By focusing on an N of 1 (that is, by only looking at the way race plays itself out in American urban spaces), I am neglecting the fluid nature of people, ideas, and institutions. While geographic borders in the West are pretty much fixed...I don't see Canada trying to annex Seattle anytime soon...people and ideas cross borders with a great deal of ease. Even in these times. Michael Hanchard is one of many scholars responsible for bringing this to light. How can we understand the particular plight of black men for example, without looking at the way that globalization has impacted manufacturing processes throughout the west and the south?
While I don't believe that something like hip hop should somehow be thought of as "naturally" political, I do believe the studying the forms hip hop takes on as it crosses borders may aid us in understanding the transnational aspects of black politics.