Across the country, and the South especially, colleges and universities are coming to terms with their historical ties to the Confederacy, and how those ties are honored through monuments, statues, and building names. In fielding students’ calls to remove such symbols, many colleges have promised to add much-needed context — to turn what protesters see as a celebration of white supremacy into an honest historical snapshot.

"We believe in maintaining that history in its historical context, in its place," Mr. Mullins says. For Mississippi’s Confederate statue, that means installing an informational plaque. Its exact language was released earlier this month.