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Britain's Prince William spoke during an official dinner at King's House on Wednesday night.
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Kenyatta Powell and Dr. Maziki Thame
Public commentator Kenyatta Powell says Britain's Prince William's expression of sorrow for the horrors of the slave trade and the role that Britain played in it, did not go far enough.
Mr. Powell is also cautioning Jamaicans against appearing to absolve the royal family from their role in an oppressive system that still exists.
During an official dinner at King's House on Wednesday night for Prince William and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, the prince - who is the second in line to the British throne - acknowledged his country's role in the trafficking of people to the Caribbean and the United States.
"I strongly agree with my father, the Prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history. I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened," he declared.
However, speaking Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, Mr. Powell said he also wanted to hear the Duke of Cambridge acknowledge his family's role in the atrocities as well as present "a concrete road map to see how [they] are going to help to repair that kind of damage".
He argued that simply admitting that slavery was regrettable was not good enough.
"You're talking about [slavery] almost in an abstract way, almost as if you're commenting on something that did not involve your family specifically, and the colonial empire that your family is. So, it's clearly not enough," said the attorney and commentator.
Troubled
Dr. Maziki Thame, Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, said the celebratory mood of some Jamaicans to the visiting royals has left her feeling troubled.
Dr. Thame said there is need to educate Jamaicans out of colonialism.
Residents of Trench Town were out in large numbers on Tuesday to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Some of them indicated that they were not concerned about calls for reparation and for Britain to apologise for slavery.
Dr. Thame said she understands the sentiment as people are in survival mode, however, the show of support to the royals has given her cause to "reflect on the extent to which we are still colonial and that there is much work to be done in educating us out of colonialism".
She argued that the royals represent a history of trauma for black people.
According to Dr. Thame, while Jamaicans should remain respectful, "the respect doesn't have to look like fawning. In fact, it should not look that way."
The royal couple will conclude their visit to Jamaica on Thursday before travelling to the Bahamas for the final leg of their Caribbean tour.
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