Lillian Charles, who goes by Atlas, is a junior at Booker T. Washington High School with a wide range of interests and talents. She’s involved in National Honor Society, Speech and Debate, Girl Scouts, and theatre. Outside of school, Atlas enjoys reading, creative writing, and exploring new languages—a passion that deeply informs her TEDx talk.In her speech, Atlas will shine a light on the critical issue of endangered indigenous languages. With 42% of all spoken languages at risk—most of them indigenous—her talk explores the lasting impact of colonization, the beauty of linguistic diversity, and the urgent need to preserve these vital cultural threads. Hi, I’m Lillian Charles, but most people call me Atlas. I’m a current Junior at Booker T Washington High school. I participate in National Honor Society, Speech and debate, Girl Scouts, and theatre. Outside of school I love to read and do creative writing. I also have a passion for language learning and can’t wait to talk about the issue of endangered indigenous languages in my speech.42% of all spoken languages are considered endangered. Most of those are indigenous languages that have been threatened by colonization for decades. Language diversity is a beautiful thing. This speech dives into the state of indigenous language endangerment, the importance of keeping these languages alive, and what we can do to protect them. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx