From a reader:

An almost entirely apolitical discussion of where “It takes a village” comes
from [Hnet].
The posters are obviously academics who go wayyyy out of their way to excuse
this cliche as a benevolent catchphrase that, invented or not, captures some
important idea. Only one of them notes the racist condescension in assuming
even the IDEA of an “African Proverb” – can you imagine someone citing a
“European Proverb?” There’s much of the “noble savage” about the whole
thing.
Personally, I find childish this need to ascribe everything to ancient
received wisdom. Let the words stand or fall on their own! Or, if you
really need to give a nod to the fact that you’re citing a cliche, just say
something like “someone wise said, ‘it takes a village…’”. Claiming an
ancient African ancestry for this stuff just dodges intellectual
responsibility.