This study examined how the literacy beliefs and school experiences of low-income, Black-American parents relate to the home literacy environment they provide for their children and their children's early reading ability. This study also investigated the within-group differences that exist with particular attention given to cultural classification. A sample of 106 parent-child dyads, who were classified as either Caribbean-American (n=50) or African-American (n=56), participated in this study. The parents completed questionnaires that included a demographic data sheet, the Global School Memories Assessment (GSMA), the Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI), the Home Literacy Environment (HLE) Scale, and other literacy supports, while the children were given the TERA-3 to gauge their early reading ability. The results of this study showed that parental school experience was significantly and positively related to parental literacy beliefs and parental literacy support, while parental literacy beliefs and parental literacy support were significantly and positively related to each other and to children's early reading ability, as measured on the Alphabet, Print Conventions, and Meaning Subtests of the TERA-3. When the demographic characteristics of parental age, education, hours of employment, and household size were taken into account, parental literacy support was found to be significantly related to only the children's knowledge of print conventions, but parental literacy beliefs were found to be significantly related to all three TERA-3 subtests. The major finding of this study was that parent literacy beliefs were found to predict children's knowledge of print conventions and understanding of print meaning above and beyond that which was predicted by the demographic characteristics and parental literacy support. Finally, it was determined that there were no significant differences between the Caribbean-American and African-American parents in this study, but that the Caribbean-American children scored significantly higher on the TERA-3 subtests than the African-American children. This study provided a foundation for how future researchers can continue to explore the within group differences that exist for different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. By understanding these more specific differences researchers can inform parents and educators on the importance of parental literacy beliefs and support and how they affect children's early reading ability.