Spotlight: Power of Perception

Dennis Beale created Power of Perception in 2020 with a mission to equip Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s African American and biracial youth with the tools they need to become contributing citizens. With the help of a generous grant from the Pablo Foundation, we had the unforgettable opportunity to bring 15 of our high school mentees to South Africa on a two-week cultural immersion experience – an opportunity Dennis had been working on tirelessly for three years. When we finally embarked on July 20th, 2023, most of our mentees stepped onto an airplane for the very first time – and all of them left our country’s borders for the first time. In South Africa, our mentees were among people like them. They saw their brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. For once, these students from the rural Midwest were not the minority; they looked like everyone else. As part of the cultural immersion, our team purchased and assembled bunk beds for the Belinda Kings soccer club, and the mentees attended classes with students at a local high school. Thanks to the help of Nanda Journeys, we served, learned, and opened our ever-growing hearts up to the people of South Africa.

From mentee Averyon Sands, pictured below with two local boys: “This has truly been a blessing and a life-changing opportunity and we cannot thank you guys enough. We are very different people coming back than we were leaving. This wasn’t a normal vacation; it was a learning experience for us all.”

Power of Perception will be screening a documentary about this unique and life-changing experience on August 26th at 6pm at the Pablo Theatre in Eau Claire, WI. In the meantime you can explore the powerful posts on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

For the duration of this life-changing trip, we were guided by Kenny Takolo, a black man who grew up in South Africa during Apartheid. He taught our mentees about the struggles his people had endured. Everything he said moved us, but one thing in particular stands out. He told us that the most powerful rebellion is success. Kenny taught our mentees that the way to rebel against the oppression they have endured for generations is to get their education and succeed. Our mentees created a powerful bond with Kenny, and our new audacious goal is to bring our revered guide to Eau Claire for a celebration in his honor and to reunite with our new family member. We are aiming to raise $3,000 or an in-kind equivalent (flight, accommodation, meals) so we may continue to foster this new relationship that means so much to us all. This will be Kenny’s first trip to the U.S., and we know his visit will spark the continuation of our lifelong relationship with him.