Hey everybody, I'm Alisa Cosmy.

And I'm Fonzo LaCayo.

We're the host of Grown, a podcast from The Moth all about growing up.

It showcases live stories, conversations, and a bunch of cool stuff.

We wanted to share something super special with you today, an episode from Grown's second season.

If you like what you hear, Grown is available wherever you get your podcast,

and you can find out more information on Grownpod.com.

So without further ado, here's Me and Alisa.

I'm standing next to my brother, shoulder to shoulder,

and we're in the midst of a crowd of 2,000 people who are all chanting

in unison. Things like Free, Free Afghanistan, and refugees are welcome here. There are a line of

drummers keeping the chance on beat, and there are cars going down Fifth Avenue, looking at the crowd,

honking in support of people's signs.

And the audio that you're hearing right now is from that day. We're gathered outside of the

New York Public Library in New York City. It is August 2021. It is hot. We are sweating and we are

screaming. And the U.S. has just withdrawn from Afghanistan, and the Taliban has taken over,

and the Afghan diaspora has watched our homeland fall and a humanitarian crisis take over.

And we're all there that day to raise awareness of the crisis,

to connect people who have loved ones in the

country with resources to get them out if they want. And my 19-year-old brother is standing in the

middle of this crowd, his eyebrows furrowed, his voice cracking as he screams into a megaphone.

And he has led this protest. He has worked for the past two weeks to get everybody here to raise awareness, to come together in community. And as I'm looking at him, hold this megaphone. I realize my baby brother isn't a baby anymore. Long past are the days where we would fight about who got more whipped cream on their pancake or Sunday nights cuddled up watching SpongeBob.

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