Wanda Sykes accepted honors at Variety’s Power of Women L.A. event on Wednesday evening, taking the stage for a speech in which she got candid about her preference for hiring women over men as a producer.

“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. When it comes to a position and I look on the paper — she might be right here, and he’s up there,” Sykes said, putting out both of her hands, with the “man” one slightly elevated above the “woman” one. “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.”

Sykes drew applause from the crowd, before the stand-up went back in to build to a laugh line: “When women thrive, the community thrives. W

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