Never underestimate the impact a single person can have. Just last weekend, one of the most powerful stands against racism we ve seen this year was performed by a lone black woman.Tess Asplund, who is a 42-year-old anti-racism activist in Sweden, took a courageous stand against hundreds of neo-Nazis from the far-right group Nordic Resistance Movement. As she saw the group of 300 white men marching down the street, Asplund protested by standing in front of the advancing group of men, looked them dead in the eyes and raised her fist in an act of defiance. The group pushed her out of the way, but not before the iconic moment was captured on camera. This photograph has now been shared around the world.Twitter#TessAsplund sfida i nazisti svedesi con un pugno chiuso. Immagine simbolo dell antifascismo. pic.twitter.com/vQ7X3nb4Sm  Antonio Sicilia (@siciliantonio) May 5, 2016Even famous author J.K. Rowling was inspired by Asplund s message.TwitterTwitterWhat Asplund did was more than courageous, and the impact of her protest was felt around the world. In an interview with the Guardian, Asplund shared what inspired her to take such bold action: It was an impulse. I was so angry, I just went out into the street. I was thinking: hell no, they can t march here! I had this adrenaline. No Nazi is going to march here, it s not okay. Although Asplund said she s been  overwhelmed  and  extremely embarrassed  by the amount of attention the photo has gotten, she hopes that it will inspire others. Asplund said: I have fought against racism for 26 years. I am 42 now. And if this is a thing that makes people pay attention to the fight against racism and xenophobia, then that s very good. But I don t want people to see me as a symbol. There were a lot of others who were there against the racists in Borlange. Because of all the attention the photo has gotten, Asplund reveals that her friends are concerned for her safety, but it is a small price to pay if it gets more people to stand up to racism and hate. Now it s a circus. I am in shock. The Nazis are very angry, so I am a little  Oh shit, maybe I shouldn t have done that, I want peace and quiet.  These guys are big and crazy. It s a mixed feeling, but I am trying to stay calm. If this picture of me can get more people to dare to show resistance, then it s all good. The people must unite and show that it is not okay that racism is becoming normalized and that fascists are running around on our streets. The image was captured by David Lagerlof, who happened to be the only photographer at the scene. Even he was incredibly moved by what Asplund did. He said: I happened to be at the right place. What I think people are reacting to in this photo is that she can t really pose a threat to them, but she puts herself in a very dangerous situation, because this group is violent, and she stands there all alone and faces them. It s like David and Goliath. Although this incident with the Nordic Resistance Movement happened it Sweden, it might not be too far from something that could happen in the United States. With the rise of presumptive Republican nominee Trump and his massive following of racists and white supremacists, we can only expect that the bigotry and hate is going to ramp up as we get closer to the general election. Asplund is an inspiration to all of us, and a brilliant reminder that we should never let hate win. One person can have a massive impact, so there is no excuse not to stand up to Trump s divisive rhetoric.Featured image via Twitter