A-to-Z Reflection #AtoZChallenge #SundaySalon
For today’s Sunday Salon post, I intend to reflect on the 2025 A-to-Z Challenge.
The A-to-Z Challenge celebrated its 15th anniversary this year. We post 26 posts in April, one for each letter of the alphabet.
Most of us choose a theme to organize our series of posts.
This year, at least four of us chose a theme related to seeking ways to deal with the current climate. We supported, cross-pollinated, and amplified each other — demonstrating the kind of community action that we talked about.
- Janet was inspired by an A-to-Z rap from Minority Leader Hareem Jeffries to contrast American values with autocracy. Unfortunately, her A-to-Z challenge got derailed by a family medical emergency.
- Shari explored how to develop agency during chaotic times.
- Sorchia started a project called “A Granny’s Guide to Resistance.” She intends to continue writing posts for that, even after the end of the A-to-Z challenge.
- My posts were about activism. I shared from a decade of experience, but also learned a lot from commenters and fellow bloggers. Thanks to everyone who interacted with me. I’ll list my posts, alphabetically, below.
Several people chose genealogy as a theme. Here were three that I followed through the month.
- I’ve followed Anne in previous years, so I’ve learned a lot about her family’s adventures in the British Empire and elsewhere.
- Kristin set an extra challenge for herself — her posts happened on the anniversaries of their events in the past. There were birthdays, church anniversaries, Easter observances, and more.
- Melissa participates in the Sunday Salon from Under the Elderberry Tree. For the A-to-Z Challenge, she learned, alphabetically, about people in her direct lineage on her genealogy blog, Bold + Queer.
There were other interesting series among the A-to-Z Challenge participants. Here are two that intrigued me:
- Nilanjana Bose wrote a series about Indian textiles, particularly as they are used in sarees. I learned so much about fabric and history from these posts.
- Deborah wrote about fun and amazing obscure words.
When I’ve participated in the A-to-Z Challenge in the past, I wrote all or most of my posts in advance. This year, I decided to participate on March 29, so I was never more than two or three posts ahead of the game. It was fun! But a bit intense. I would do it that way again, if I had a topic that felt as timely as this one.
Here are all of my posts about activism:
- A is for Action
- B is for Brown (and Booker)
- C is for Community
- D is for Daily
- E is for Email
- F is for Feelings
- G is for Give Generously
- H is for Humor
- I is for Idealism
- J is for Join
- K is for Keep
- L is for Lobbying
- M is for Meetings
- N is for Nerdfighteria
- O is for Op Eds and Letters to the Editor and Public Statements
- P is for Phone Calls
- Q is for Queer
- R is for Rural Activism
- S is for Self-Care
- T is for Tyranny
- U is for Urgency
- V is for Volunteer
- W is for Whiteness
- X is for X (formerly known as Twitter)
- Y is for Young
- Z is for Zeal
Thanks to the organizers for another fun year of the A-to-Z Challenge!