Pretty soon it might be mandatory for New York City schoolchildren to play that dreaded game of dodgeball, or some similar activity. On Thursday, Feb. 7, Council Members Melissa Mark-Viverito, Robert Jackson, Letitia James and Gale Brewer held a press conference on the steps of City Hall, with Women’s City Club and American Heart Association, urging the Department of Education to make physical education mandatory. The Women’s City Club released a report that showed New York’s inadequacies with physical education classes in public schools, including a shortage of PE teachers. The Women’s City Club also recommends a plan of improvement by necessitating mandated PE time and space in school buildings.

Sounds of Drums

Come celebrate Black History Month with the performances of “The African Drum,” a children’s show featuring shadow puppets and real actors that has been entertaining children with drummers, storytellers and large puppets for many years. Learn the magic of African folktales like how the turtle got its shell and how the animals got their colors, told through the lens of the little girl Kijana. Families can enjoy this performance on weekdays until March 8 at the National Black Theater at 2031 Fifth Avenue and East 125th Street. The show is recommended for children from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Paying a Parking Ticket: It’ll Cost You!

Drivers beware: without any apparent notice, the service charge for paying an average $115 New York City parking ticket online has increased from $2 to $2.86. According to driver advocate and parking watchdog Glen Bolofsky, who runs parkingticket.com, that’s a 43 percent increase.

“In essence, the city is charging its citizens a premium for something that actually eases the city’s workload, streamlines costs and reduces man hours,” Bolofsky said in a statement.

Drivers who think that they do not deserve a parking ticket can report it on parkingticket.com through “Worry Free Parking,” where users can contest tickets that they receive through the city. It’s worth a try. Parkingticket.com guarantees that it can reduce or dismiss their customers’ tickets.

Roosevelt Island Art on Display

Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association has compiled an exhibit of paintings, drawings, photographs and other artworks by its members. The art will be on display at Stonehenge-Luce nonprofit annex, a pop-up gallery at 1149 Second Ave. between 60th and 61st streets. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 16, and admission is free. The Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association (RIVAA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the work of artists throughout the Roosevelt Island community. Their gallery has hosted dozens of exhibits, and played host to screenings and readings.

Free at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is staging free concerts this month for Black History Month. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis at the David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd streets. For more information, visit www.lincolncenter.org/Atrium.

Feb. 4 at 11 a.m., the Harlem Gospel Choir will lead a program for families.
Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m., Loren Schoenberg and the National Jazz Museum All Stars will present “Drop Me Off in Harlem: An Evening of Ellingtonia,” highlighting the work of Duke Ellington.

New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is hosting several events and exhibits in recognition of Black History Month.

Feb. 5 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., re-enactors will bring the 1st Rhode Island Regiment back to life. The unit was one of the earliest regiments in America to actively enlist African Americans. The 1st Rhode Island Regiment fought in the Battle of Newport in 1778 and spent the infamous winter at Valley Forge without receiving any post-war compensation for their efforts.
Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m., “The Battle for Civil Rights,” a conversation between David Levering Lewis and Khalil Gibran Muhammad, will be held.

The discussion is presented in conjunction with one of the society’s exhibits, Freedom Now: Photographs by Platon. The installation of large-scale images by the celebrated photographer shows the historic struggle of the 1950s and 1960s.
Among the subjects are the Little Rock Nine, whose attempt to enter Little Rock Central High School in 1957 became a national cause célèbre; Joseph A. McNeil and Franklin E. McCain, participants in the 1960 Greensboro lunch-counter sit-in; and Chris and Maxine McNair, the parents of Denise McNair, who was murdered in the bombing of the Birmingham, Ala., 16th Street Baptist Church.

The Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West and is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays–Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $5–$15 and children under 7 are free. For more information, call 212-873-3400 or visit www.nyhistory.org.

Films for Youth
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd., will be screening free films for youth and teens Feb. 14–16.  Online registration is required at www.NYPL.org. For more information, call 212- 491-2200.
Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., On The Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Basketball Team You Never Heard Of will be shown. The 2011 film by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the Harlem Renaissance through the eyes of Abdul-Jabbar as he presents the life and times of the Harlem Rens basketball team. Recommended for ages 5–18.

Feb. 15, 10 a.m.–noon, Freedom Riders, by Stanley Nelson, will be shown. The true story of an integrated band of young college students who risked everything by boarding a Greyhound Bus headed to the Deep South. Recommended for ages 13–18.

Feb. 16, 10–11 a.m., The Prep School Negro, by André Robert Lee, will be shown. This documentary explores the experiences of Lee and present-day prep school students of color. Recommended for ages 13–18.