When Alicia Menendez walked onto the set of The Weeknight for its highly anticipated debut on May 5th, she wasn’t just launching another cable news program — she was shattering a glass ceiling as the first Latina to anchor a prime time show on MSNBC.

“It is a big deal, and it is the realization of a dream that I’ve been working toward for over a decade,” Menendez told LATINO Magazine. “I feel really fortunate that my co-hosts Symone [Sanders Townsend], Michael [Steele] and I have been able to build something that felt special — a place where we could begin a conversation with our audience that they could continue even after we were off the air.”

That hard-earned chemistry, honed during their tenure on The Weekend, now transitions to weeknights, where the trio dissects politics, culture, and breaking news with the same kinetic rapport that made their weekend show a ratings hit, especially for an early-morning Saturday and Sunday show. Menendez believes the milestone is significant, but more remains to be done.

“While it is such an extreme privilege to be the first Latina in prime time on MSNBC, I think we can celebrate that and also ask why it didn’t happen sooner — and who we can bring along next on this journey,” she said, adding, “It’s not enough for me to be the first if I am the only.”

Menendez’s career can be best described as one built on storytelling that includes some advocacy that she continues to pull from. A co-founder of the nonprofit Define American — an organization that reshapes narratives around immigration through storytelling— she views her role in media as an extension of advocacy.

“At Define American, storytelling was so at the core of that effort,” she explained, referencing the group’s origins with Pulitzer Prize-winning immigrant journalist José Antonio Vargas. “That, to me, is where the circles overlap in my interest in advocacy and my interest in media: How do we tell stories that change hearts and minds? How do you keep the facts central but offer context, understanding that the context matters?”

Her perspective was also shaped by formative years at Fusion, the ABC-Univisión joint venture, where she worked alongside Jorge Ramos, recently retired and regarded as the top Spanish-language news anchor.

“Jorge would always say, ‘Why is something like advocating for good education not seen as a political issue, but advocating for a fair and humane immigration system is seen as a political issue?’” she recalled. “We all just want what’s best for our communities, for our country, for our families. And I think if you’re clear about that, then the audience is willing to come with you.”

Menendez’s approach is deeply informed by her upbringing in Union City, New Jersey, a working-class immigrant enclave where her Cuban grandparents settled in the 1950s alongside Irish, German, and Norwegian neighbors.

“I was very aware of the immense privilege that I was growing up with — as a U.S. citizen with U.S. citizen parents who both graduated from college and spoke English,” she said. “The message from both of my parents was that I would always have to use the gifts that I had been given in the service of others.”

This duality — what she calls the “insider/outsider” perspective — fuels her work. “It’s about understanding what it feels like to be constantly between spaces,” she observes. “To belong nowhere and everywhere at once.”

The role of a Latino journalist in today’s world is something Menendez feels deeply, though she admitted her thinking has evolved over the years: “I once thought it was about giving a voice to the voiceless. But now I think it’s about sharing a platform where people can share their stories.”

On The Weeknight, that translates to including Latinas in every conversation. As an example, she offered a historic event from several years ago. “When President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, suddenly every booking producer was scrambling for Latina commentators,” she said with a bit of a chuckle. “At the time, it felt like there was me, María Cardona and María Teresa Kumar rotating on every panel. But once networks realized we could talk about more than just the Supreme Court — about the economy, education, foreign policy — those conversations changed. And when the conversations change, the politics change.”

Somehow, along with anchoring a prime time show, Menendez has added Broadway to her resumé. She’s a co-producer of Real Women Have Curves, the new musical adaptation of the beloved play by Josefina Lopez about Latina garment workers in Los Angeles.

“I am a failed theater kid, so when I got an email from Broadway producer Barry Weissler, I assumed my brother was punking me,” she joked. The project, with music by Joe Quintero and Benjamin Vélez, struck an immediate chord. “It’s set in the 1980s, but it could be anywhere in America today. These women are the backbone of their families — their struggles are real, but so is their humor and grace.”

One lyric from the show stands out to her: They gave up so much so I could have more. And if I don’t go, what was all of it for? “That’s the immigrant promise,” she said. “Our families sacrifice everything. How do we honor that?”

Then there’s Latina to Latina, the weekly podcast she’s hosted since 2018, featuring candid conversations with figures like América Ferrera and Eva Longoria. “It’s my love letter to Latinas,” Menendez said. “In a media landscape where Latino-focused outlets keep shrinking, this is my way of saying: We deserve space.”

The show’s success proves a hunger for these narratives. “People crave community,” she noted. “Sometimes they find it through a podcast that feels like a kitchen-table chat with a smart friend.”

Out of the spotlight, Menendez is “a PTO mom” to daughters aged 8 and 6. “My life is about them and their fun,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t have hobbies — I’ve professionalized them all.”

As in any nightly live television program, The Weeknight schedule is grueling, but Menendez credits her team — including executive producer Kyle Griffin — and her husband Carlos Odio. “People love to give women advice about ‘balance.’ What we need are opportunities. [MSNBC president] Rebecca Cutler saw potential in this show and invested in us. That’s what changes things.”

Menendez is aware that The Weeknight stands in stark contrast to a typical cable news lineup: “Look, I’m thrilled to be in this chair. But the real win will be when a young Latina watches me and thinks, ‘That’s normal’ — not ‘That’s rare.’”

With the program’s strong debut and her relentless advocacy, that future feels closer than ever. “Stories are power. And right now, we’re writing a new one,” she said.