I knew about Bell and his radical ideas for some time, but hadn’t heard about him in a while when I saw him on a panel show with Pat Buchanan. Bell was a changed man. He had by no means given up his ideas, but had apparently undergone a crisis of despair, which led him to adopt a passive and even saintly demeanor. On the show, he was giving his standard line about the plight of blacks under institutionalized racism when Buchanan interrupted him ... “Are you saying that I’m the one that’s causing blacks to drop out of school etc. etc. etc. ...” Bell interrupted him in turn, “No no no no! It’s not your fault!” he declared, as though granting absolution. Buchanan instantly broke into his patented boyish laugh with a broad smile. I can’t say what it means, but it was an amazing TV moment, and I have to say it gave me soft spot for Derrick Bell.
Someone on another thread said he died of a type of cancer which causes niacin deficiency. The poster said niacin deficiency, if severe, can bring on dementia. If that’s true or not I have no idea... but maybe that explains the change you noticed?
Do you happen to have a link to that video - I’d love to see it.