Barack Obama spoke on video today in response to the civil-rights protests that have carried on for a week across the United States.

And by and large, it was an optimistic message, notwithstanding the sorrow he expressed over the deaths of people at the hands of police.

"Part of what's made me so hopeful is the fact that so many young people have been galvanized and activated and motivate and mobilized," the former president said. "Because historically so much of the progress  that we have made in our society has been because of young people.

"Dr. King was a young man when he got involved. Cesar Chavez was a young man. Malcolm X was a young man. The leaders of the feminist movement were young people," he continued. "Leaders of union movements were young people. Leaders of the environmental movement in this country and the movement to make sure the LGBT community had a voice and was represented were young people."

You can see his speech below.