October 31, 2025
Comedian-producer Wanda Sykes said she intentionally hires Black women over men.
Comedian-producer Wanda Sykes said she intentionally hires Black women over men.
During a speech at Variety’s Power of Women event, Sykes told the audience she believes women, especially Black women, bring distinct and valuable strengths to creative environments. Hiring and uplifting women brings Sykes personal joy.
“My joy is when I’m able to hire somebody. And you know who I like to hire? Women. … I’ll be upfront with you. . . I’m hiring the woman. That’s just how I operate. And I’ll be honest with you, if she’s a Black woman — oh, pssh. Girl, you got the job.”
In her address, Sykes encouraged onlookers to pay attention to what is happening in the world. She also stressed that even if no one else speaks up or acts on inequality, she will continue to do so.
“What I plan on doing is to continue to create projects — and even in my stand-up — to speak and represent more of what powerful women can do. We’re at a moment in time where, with everything that’s going on in the government, we need to create projects where life imitates art,” Sykes said.
The event concluded with Sykes reaffirming her ongoing commitment to mentorship and leadership development for early-career women in production-adjacent roles.
According to the Gender In Hiring Report in TV, women currently fill only about 33% of television writing-room seats and about 25% of show-runner roles, underscoring the gap Sykes said she is working to close.
The hiring philosophy aligns with Sykes’ current work as a producer; she has prioritized staffing with women and African American writers and creatives. This pattern is gaining attention as Hollywood faces growing scrutiny over equity and the makeup of writing rooms and production teams. A representative for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) noted that the organization is monitoring how such shifts influence the industry’s broader talent architecture.
As studios change leadership strategies and the WGA pushes for more inclusive rooms, Sykes’s remarks serve as both a beacon and a challenge. Sykes is not just participating in the industry’s evolution. She is actively accelerating it.
“When women thrive, the community thrives. We make everyone around us better, we do.”
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