A community celebration honoring the life and legacy of educator, journalist, and civic leader Wendell Holmes McRidley will take place at 11 AM Saturday during a special Kentucky Historical Marker dedication ceremony in Trigg County’s United Brotherhood Federation Cemetery on Line Street.
The event, hosted by the Kentucky Historical Society, will unveil a new historical marker commemorating McRidley’s lasting impact on education, African American journalism and civic engagement in Kentucky.
Friends, family, local officials and state representatives are expected to attend the ceremony, which will include tributes, historical reflections and a formal unveiling of the marker.
A reception at the Genesis Express Intergenerational Center will follow.
McRidley was a prominent figure who championed Black education and civic rights, founded The Cadiz Informer newspaper and worked tirelessly to elevate African American voices throughout the state.
His contributions are now being officially recognized through Kentucky’s renowned Historical Marker Program, which preserves the Commonwealth’s rich heritage through public storytelling.
The dedication will serve not only as a remembrance of McRidley’s achievements but also as an educational opportunity for the broader community to engage with the region’s history, which also included his founding of the Cadiz Normal and Theological College.
For more information about the event or the Kentucky Historical Marker Program, visit history.ky.gov.
This dedication was originally scheduled in early April, before historic flooding arrived that weekend.
