Terraform: Building a Better World

In this debut collection of essays and poetry, musician, speaker, and activist Propaganda inspires us to create a better, more equitable world.

“If we get to make the very cultures that shape who we are, then let us remake them in the best way possible.”

In this deep, challenging, and thoughtful book, Propaganda looks at the ways in which our world is broken. Using the metaphor of terraforming—creating a livable world out of an inhospitable one—he shows how we can begin to reshape our homes, friendships, communities, and politics.

In this transformative time—when we are redefining what a truly just and equitable world looks like, and reflecting on the work that needs to be done both in our spiritual and secular lives—Propaganda rallies readers to create that just world. He sheds light on how nefarious origin stories have skewed our views of ourselves and others and allowed gross injustices, and demonstrates how great storytelling and excellent art can create and shape new perspectives of the world and make all of us better. 

This book is an invitation to use the most powerful tool we have: imagination.

• A New Metaphor for Change: Propaganda uses the idea of terraforming—creating a habitable world from a hostile one—to show how we can reshape our communities, politics, and even ourselves.
• Storytelling and Social Change: Discover how the stories we tell, from national myths to personal histories, have the power to either uphold injustice or forge a path toward racial equity.
• Essays and Poetry for Activists: A powerful collection of prose and poems that challenges readers to move beyond reflection and actively create the just world we all long for.
• A Call for Christian Social Justice: Blending faith and action, Propaganda draws from a prophetic tradition that dares to imagine and build a world where our spiritual and secular lives work toward the good of all.

Before dedicating his life to hip hop and poetry, Propaganda received degrees in illustration and intercultural studies, taught high school, and founded two charter schools. Propaganda co-hosts The Red Couch Podcast with his wife, Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty. His upcoming album, Terraform, will be released in 2021. He lives in Los Angeles, California.