The most damaging influence to inner-city youth might not be found on the street corner, but inside of the television, according to presenters at a recent conference in Akron.

“Black children watch more TV than any other group,” said Dr. John Queener, clinical director of the Minority Behavioral Health Group and an associate professor in the Department of Counseling at The University of Akron. Add this to the belief that African-Americans are stereotyped negatively on TV, he said, and “our children are watching more negative stereotypes of themselves than any other group, and we wonder why they act crazy.”

Queener joined other high profile guest speakers, including MC Lyte, and delved into the media’s impact on urban youth and their communities for the “Pop Culture and the Media” conference at the Quaker Hilton in downtown Akron. The conference, hosted by Keepers of the Art, was part of a weekend’s worth of events, which concluded with the 4th Annual Hip-Hop Showcase at Lock 3.

The 4th Akron Hip-Hop Showcase, Sept. 3, will feature national and local music acts, and the event is joined by a whole weekend of culture, music and education. MC Lyte and EPMD will take the stage at downtown Akron's Lock 3, along with up-and-coming Ohio artist Stalley, Tanya Morgan and DJ Krate Digga. The event combines live entertainment with community education in order to help counteract the negative impact that culture, media and hip-hop music have on urban youth and their communities.

The showcase begins at 5 p.m., and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under age 12.

The weekend also includes the Akron premiere of actor Michael Rapaport’s critically acclaimed film “Beats, Rhymes & Life - the Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," a film about the legendary music group, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre. Tickets for the movie are $5. On Saturday morning (Sept. 3), a free community conference entitled “Popular Culture & the Media – Their Impact on Urban Youth and their Communities" will examine the psychological and social impacts that popular culture and the media play in the lives of urban youth.