What is "racetraitor"

Racetraitor (1996–1999) was an North American political straight edge hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They released an album called Burn the Idol of the White Messiah on Uprising Records and then a split EP called Make Them Talk on Trustkill with their friends in the Indianapolis band Burn It Down.

Racetraitor was one of the most controversial political bands of the 1990s hardcore scene and garnered on the covers of both Maximumrocknroll and HeartattaCk before recording a single note of music. The name Racetraitor was in reference to using one's social and economic privilege to create a more egalitarian world. The idea was to take the pejorative term " race traitor" used by white American racists and claim it as a positive self-chosen label. The band was known for aggressively challenging audiences to confront the ways they might help perpetuate or buy into racist and exploitative social and economic systems. Many of their shows turned into heated arguments and they became one of the most talked about political hardcore bands of the late 1990s.