This article examines the etiology of social phobia, and proposes that the sensitivity to self-scrutiny common to social phobics can be exacerbated by the effects of longstanding racial bias. The impact of racism on identity and the importance of context are explored as salient factors in the onset of a case of social phobia for an African-American woman at a prestigious university. The importance of attending to both overt and subtle forms of racism is illustrated within the typical cognitive-behavioral framework for the treatment of social phobia.