Rooted in identity: Eizak Amawi on history, opportunity and Black excellence

For Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks caretaker Eizak Amawi, Black excellence begins with identity.

“Black is mainly identity,” Amawi says. “It’s not just colour. It comes with what made me who I am.”

Originally from South Sudan, Amawi arrived in Canada in 2006 after fleeing civil war — one of the longest conflicts in Africa. At the time, South Sudan was still part of Sudan. Independence would not come until 2011.

“When we saw no future, we had to move,” he says. “I came to search for a better life.”

He landed in Calgary, worked two years in Brooks at a meat processing plant, then moved to Lethbridge in 2007. Nearly two decades later, he still calls the city home.

“I feel like I’m a resident here now,” he says with a smile.

From war to opportunity

Amawi grew up in a country shaped by instability. His children, however, were born and raised in Lethbridge. The difference is not lost on him.

“When we grow up between war, the experience is different,” he says. “Here, it’s safe. Safety is number one.”

Opportunity is also a clear distinction between Amawi’s upbringing and his children’s.

“In Africa, you may want to study, but you don’t always have the opportunity,” he explains. “Because of war, because of corruption, there is not always quality education. Here, the choice belongs to them.”

Seeing himself in the Kodiaks

Before working in Athletics, Amawi was already part of the campus community. He completed a few programs and supported games long before becoming a Kodiaks employee.

“I used to come here and support,” he says. “It’s part of community.”

In South Sudan, sports like soccer and basketball existed, but without structured school programs or collegiate pathways, there were no athletic scholarships and no formal progression systems.

“This is the opportunity I didn’t have,” he says. “Now [my children] have it.”

Today, Amawi takes pride in working in one of the most diverse spaces on campus.

“In this building, I see diversity,” he says. “Basketball, volleyball, track, soccer – I see many Black students integrate. I see myself as part of that diversity.”

For Amawi, the Kodiaks represent something bigger than competition. They represent multicultural learning in action.

Black history as shared learning

Amawi says he believes Black History Month is essential, not as a formality, but as education.

“History is fundamental,” he says. “It identifies where we came from and where we are going.”

He speaks about figures like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., leaders whose struggles became lessons for future generations.

“Whatever challenge our elders had, we learn from it,” he says. “The situation may change, but the values remain.”

He also emphasizes that Black identity is not singular.

“We are all Black, but we are different,” he explains. “South Sudanese, Nigerian, African American — everyone has a different history.”

And each person carries a different journey, he says.

“Some come on scholarship for school, some come on scholarship for sport, some come because of war,” he says. “We all come with different reasons, but we come for opportunities.”

Amawi says sharing those stories matters. It allows people to understand not only where someone is now, but what brought them there. He believes that when you know someone’s story, you can see them in a new light.

“When we leave here, we can’t take money or anything with us,” he says. “What we leave behind is what we shared — our story, our history, what we gave to the community.”

Sharing culture, sharing story

Amawi also shares his culture in everyday ways, through food, clothing and conversation.

“If you see what I’m wearing, this is from Africa,” he says, referring to his traditional attire. “Food is another way.”

But more than dress or cuisine, he believes storytelling is the most powerful form of connection.

“If you don’t know me, you won’t know where I’m from,” he says. “But when we talk, now you know: Eizak is from South Sudan. If we are shy, we will not learn. Learning comes from interaction.”

Carrying the past forward

Amawi does not shy away from his past. He acknowledges the trauma of war, but he also speaks about transformation.

“I can carry two things,” he says. “The negative from where I came from — or turn it into something positive.”

His story, he believes, becomes part of his children’s foundation. They are Canadian born, but their roots remain connected to South Sudan.

“The roots are still there,” he says. “They are South Sudanese Canadian.”

For Amawi, Black excellence is not about titles or spotlight. It’s about knowing who you are, where you came from, and what you choose to build next.