Perceived admiration was examined in this study as a mediator of marital quality and transition to parenthood among Black American and White American couples. Both positive and negative dimensions of marital quality were assessed for husbands (N = 148) and wives (N = 155) during their first and third years of marriage in a large-scale survey. Findings revealed that transitioning Black American husbands reported lower marital tension than transitioning White American husbands. Perceived admiration mediated the link between transition to parenthood and marital wellbeing for wives, and between transition to parenthood and marital tension for husbands. Results suggest that perceived admiration plays a critical role in understanding the transition to parenthood, regardless of race. Insights are offered for practitioners who provide relationship or parental counseling and education to couples during the transition to parenthood.