Modern Activism and the "Sisyphus Effect"

To all intents and purposes, one would suppose the life of Rev. Jesse Jackson to be an abject failure.  He continues to speak, to march, to aggressively advance the cause of "rights" in this nation.  There has been no stop in him.

But advances have been made.  The life of the 50's African-American is stark contrast to the life of the millennial African-American.  The good reverend has achieved much, accomplished much welcome change.  How could this man be an abject failure?  Only in that he continues to speak, march and advocate as if nothing had been accomplished.

And this is the heart of what I term the Sisyphus Effect.  In Greek mythology, Sisyphus challenged the gods in the Titan Wars and was punished by eternally hauling a huge boulder up an incline only to have the rock tumble back, forcing the fallen hero to redouble his efforts to put the stone into place, and action reenacted to infinity.  Activists do make bold stands, agitate for their causes, and succeed, only to hanker for more causes, more redress to inequities.  All hoping that the popular view of their work will continue to be deemed "heroic."

And this is the flaw of activism.  An eternal state of unrest is a form of social agony that we wished relief not continuation.  Progress is not always to be forward.  History allows for regression as a term for such relief.  Lyndon B. Johnson gave way to Reagan via Nixon and Carter.  Then a reflux to Obama via two Bushes and one Clinton.  The boulder will roll back.  To believe that Rev. Jackson merely perpetuates the political tone of crisis to maintain his political clout and prestige is erroneous.  Liberty means vigilance, and with two causes in the political millrace, such vigilance can become strained.  Celebrate the advances.  Acknowledge that times of reversal will occur and should be welcome. 

But the greatest ideal is that Sisyphus could break from his labors, if but for the moment.