ABSTRACT
Fear of blacks is partly rooted in racial myths and stereotypes. Assumptions about the nature and behavior of black Americans are intricately woven into a complex mosaic of personal beliefs and values. Racist ideology, actual rates or crime, and fear of victimization are three potent forces having a strongly negative effect on the successful integration of urban neighborhoods. Racism was a strong contributor to the ghettoization of Rosedale. Established social science literature describing southern racial traditions helps us better understand the fears and suspicions dominating the lives of Rosedale's elderly during the process of residential transition. These traditions also clarify how many of the elderly perceived and classified the external events occurring during the racial transition. The racial views of Rosedale's elderly have also contributed to an erosion of their own emotional and physical health. The terror felt by many elderly women compels them to withdraw from community and neighborhood life and severely limits their social contacts.
