Price cited 1989 as a major turning point in black advancement in business, comparing it to 1947--the year Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. In that year, three CEOs named to lead three Fortune 500 companies--Fannie Mae, American Express and Maytag--were black.

When asked what it was like being a student during the civil rights movement, Price said, "It is important to remember that the movement did not last only five years. It was decades long."

He pointed to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909 and the Urban League's founding in 1910 as the beginning of what people deem civil rights activism, stressing that the movement is still not over.

However, he admitted that in a time when civil rights no longer consume the energy of all black people, it is difficult to decide on a specific focus for activism.

When asked by a member of the audience why the Urban League does not focus on discrimination or the stratification of blacks' income, Price simply replied, "I don't apologize for our focus."

He said the work of helping people get skills and jobs is of immediate concern for the Urban League.

"The trend lines are in the right direction, but we have a long way to go," he said.