"Activist" has always meant self-important, narcissistic, shitstirring, agitator. Someone who yells loudly to disrupt normal life because she thinks whatever problem she claims to care about is more important that the problem her targets are currently in the middle of solving.

Our subverted education system has canonized "activists" (who pushed leftist agenda) in history so we all grew up with that conditioning that "activism" is something to be admired.