Two numbers, 34, contain one of Richmond’s most historic events and is now forever preserved in a monument at CarMax Park.
The masterpiece reflects the bravery of a group of 34 Virginia Union University students who participated in a peaceful sit-in at the Thalhimers Department Store on February 22, 1960. The students became known as the “Richmond 34” and marked one of the first mass arrests of the Civil Rights Movement.
Sir James Thornhill, a Richmond native, oversaw the creation of the aluminum-made monument. He was a child when the protest happened and remembered the reaction of his neighborhood in Jackson Ward.
“It was a no-brainer that this project is very important,” Thornhill said. “Overseeing it, every detail was my purpose. I found out that this is the first monument that has actually been erected (to honor them). So, it became very personal to me that we made sure to cover everything.”
Located on the third-base side of the main concourse near the Atlantic Union Bank Lounge, the monument stands with a plaque noted with the history of the Richmond 34.
Guests will see all the names of the 11 women and 23 men in the Richmond 34 etched into the two silver numbers. The 34 sits atop a rectangular pedestal that has “Richmond 34” on the front.
Flowers and greenery surround the piece, with a light shining on it throughout the night.
“How do you express how you feel without having a whole lot of face?” Thornhill said of creating the monument. “We wanted something that didn’t have to be explained. The number 34 itself says it all.”
The monument was unveiled at an open house of CarMax Park in March, before any baseball action on the field.
A few members of the Richmond 34 were in attendance to see the reveal and saw how their bravery in 1960 shaped the future of the United States. Samuel Shaw was in attendance for the dedication and still remembers the day he was a part of history.
“You felt anxious about what was going on,” Shaw said. "When we got to downtown Richmond and to Thalhimers, there were a lot of people that were involved. It was more than 34, it was about 200 and we all gathered in one place in one big crowd. We went inside to have lunch and the employees inside said, ‘We can’t serve you’ and that’s how it got started.”
Shaw chronicled how the police were called into the store and led the 34 students outside to be arrested.
That historic day is forever captured in the monument at CarMax Park.
On Saturday, the Flying Squirrels will wear specialty Richmond 34 jerseys. Fans can bid to win the game-worn and autographed jerseys by visiting FlyingSquirrelsAuctions.com. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Richmond 34 Legacy Scholarship Fund.
“It’s a beautiful monument and it gives tribute to those who sacrificed doing their time several years ago on that chilly winter day,” Shaw said. “It gives you a lot of pride when you see it at one of our greatest, new athletic parks. To see that mark out there, it makes you feel good and to where your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren can come and see that marker.”