How Many Statues Must Fall?

Even though historical figures have complex legacies, a few main points usually stand out. For instance, George Washington isn’t remembered—or revered—because he owned slaves. Many people, including many of his contemporaries, have owned slaves. Washington is remembered because he commanded the Continental Army, won the Revolutionary War and served honorably as America’s first president. He has become a symbol of freedom and independence; that’s why statues of him were built, and why they should stay up.

When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he celebrated...