Children learn social and emotional competence through socialization. Research has focused on the role of parents, however teachers also play an important part. This study examined the social and emotional competence of preschool African American children and the role teachers and mothers played in supporting these competencies. Teachers who labeled children's emotions as positive and were responsive to them created a positive emotional classroom climate where children engaged in more social competence behaviors. Mothers who provided positive behavioral strategies were also more likely to be emotionally responsive, but these behaviors were not related to their children's competence behaviors at school. The relative contribution of mothers' and teachers' behaviors to African American children's observed social and emotional competencies at school and the implications of this research are described.