David Goldfield

From 21-24 October, 2024, David Goldfield travelled through the cities of Freiburg im Breisgau, Cologne, and Bonn to speak about democracy in the context of the U.S. elections.

As a historian and lecturer at the University of Maryland, Mr Goldfield is considered an expert in the field of democracy.  He has published a total of 16 books, two of which have been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and is an editor at the Journal of Urban History.

His tour began at the Montessori Centre Angell Gymnasium with an exciting discussion on ‘The Change of Politics in America’ in which numerous students took part to exchange thoughts and ideas on the political situation in the USA. Remaining in the context of the classrooms, Mr Goldfield went to the University of Freiburg to get to the bottom of the question ‘Do We Need a New Constitution?’ together with the students.

Once in Cologne, Mr Goldfield gave an interview with local press representatives. He then met with Vedna Lacombe-Heywood, who was also a speaker in the U.S. Election Speaker Series. 

Together they took part in a lively discussion, which was held as part of the ‘American Cultural Studies’ seminar at the University of Cologne. In the student city of Bonn, another university was also enriched by the expertise of Mr Goldfield and Ms Lacombe-Heywood. The University of Bonn organised a seminar entitled ‘Paradoxes, Projections, Pitfalls of World Power: Past, Present, and Prospects of U.S. Foreign Policy’ for which numerous participants came together to exchange thought-provoking ideas.

Vedna Lacombe-Heywood

From 23-26 October, 2024, Vedna Lacombe-Heywood travelled through the cities of Cologne, Bonn, and Nuremberg to speak about democracy in the context of the U.S. elections. 

Ms. Lacombe-Heywood works as Director and Trustee at the League of Woman Voters. With her Haitian heritage, she advocates for the Haitian diaspora, including as a member of the board of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network. She founded HELD (Healed, Empowered, Loved, Develop), an organisation that supports young women who have suffered trauma and promotes their leadership skills. Her work has received several awards, including the Commonwealth Heroine Award 2023. Ms. Lacombe-Heywood enriches the discussion with her expertise and experience by bringing in the perspectives of marginalised groups and feminist viewpoints.

The first day in Cologne included a meeting with Mr. Goldfield, another speaker in the Election Night Speaker series. Together they participated in an intensive discussion that took place as part of the ‘American Cultural Studies’ seminar at the University of Cologne. Both students and other interested parties took part.

At the end of Ms. Lacombe-Heywood’s stay in Germany, she traveled to Nuremberg to give a guest lecture on ‘Democracy on the ballot’. The lecture included an intensive exchange on the challenges of democracy and the upcoming elections in the United States.

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