HOME | Elisha Hall

African-centered Racial Equity (ACRE) ®

African-centered Racial Equity & Education

Elisha Hall works to enhance the lives of African descendent peoples (ADP) through restorative justice praxis that centers African culture and history. African-centered racial equity (ACRE) uses methods, practices, curricular materials, facilitation styles, and African and Indigenous knowledge to educate school districts, companies, and community-based organizations. The professional development informs institutions how they can achieve greater systemic and individual transformation. Further, it provides a blueprint on how to heal from past traumas in the workplace, school and community.

His ACRE Model Includes the following:

Racial Equity Audit (REA) that provides a critical assessment and survey of current policies, procedures, and impacts on people of color and non people of color
Racial Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan that outlines how to move forward from conflict and the necessary restorative justice healing circles that may need to take place prior to applying ACRE
Trained ACRE facilitators that work with students, staff, and stakeholders to address racial inequity and diversity at all levels of the organization
An ACRE Curriculum that uses African-centered pedagogy and praxis to inform and uplift the work, school and business environment
A membership within a network of other organizations, businesses, and partners

Scope of Work

Healing-arts Education

Provides mindfulness and meditation workshops for youth and adults.

Social Entrepreneurship

Supports adult and youth with urban and rural entrepreneurial pursuits across the diaspora.

Digital Strategy

Creates mobile apps, websites and social media content for individuals and organizations.

Multimedia Production

Musical producer, graphic designer, photographer, videographer, and sound engineer.

Ph.D. Candidacy

Graduating in December 2020 with a focus on using African-centered storytelling for healing and peace-building.

Archiving & Storytelling

A member of ASE, a Black storytelling group in Chicago and works with youth and families to produce stories.

Work Samples

FAST Program at UIC

Adult Learners

Elisha designed the Social Entrepreneurship Education Program (SEEP) at the Center for Literacy (UIC). It is a financial literacy program that teaches G.E.D. students how to start social businesses that impact the community. This is the SEEP Pitch Contest in 2019.

Cowry Collective

Pre-K Meditation

Elisha created the Repira Profunda (Deep Breathing) Program at Chicago Commons. This program has taught over 300 teachers, students, and staff about stress, mindfulness, deep breathing, yoga, and alternative forms of classroom management. This is in 2019.

Chicago Commons

Strategic Planning

Elisha went to St. Louis to facilitate a strategic planning session with the Cowry Collective, a community organization focused on time-banking and redistributing resources. This session included conversations about group-centered learning. This was 2018.

The Journey

A brief bio.

Elisha is community-raised educator and village builder. Elisha restores African healing legacies that have always accompanied African resistance and self-determination. He is the founder of the African and Indigenous Knowledge Institute (AIKI), a local bridge that developments institutions through interactive educational platforms and individualized diversity and inclusion support. Currently, Elisha works as the Social Entrepreneurship Instructor in an adult education program that teaches G.E.D. students how to increase income streams and impact the community. In 2018, he created the Respira Profundo (Deep Breathing) Program for pre-k students at Chicago Commons. In 2016, he worked with members of Englewood and the broader Chicago community to establish the Ujamaa Community Land Trust. Elisha is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois (Chicago). His research centers on how storytelling can heal youth and adults especially when used as community education. He fuses his movement work with healing justice scholarship to provide restoration of African and indigenous communities across the diaspora.

Current Projects

Work I am passionate about.

African and Indigenous Knowledge Institute (AIKI)

The African and Indigenous Knowledge Institute is a educational center that bridges African-centered praxis with the histories of African and Indigenous communities. We then help others do the same. Elisha is the Founder.

Rev222

Rev222 is a cannabis infuser business in Illinois. Rev222 aims to revolutionize the industry by helping formerly incarcerated Black and Brown people enter the industry. Elisha is the co-founder.

Pan-African Mutual Aid Fund (PAMAF)

The Pan-African Mutual Aid Fund (PAMAF) is a global NGO that raises resources for African descendent people in the diaspora. This fund secures financial, cultural, and physical wealth. Elisha is the founder.

Let's Connect

Looking forward to working with you.

Tel: 507-403-9062 | email:

Chicago, IL 60615