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Hillary Rodham Clinton's book, 'It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us', 1996, is based on this well-known African proverb. The essential premise is that teachers, police, church leaders, babysitters, day care workers, and a host of community members have an influence, both good and bad, on the parenting of a child.
The proverb is believed to have originated from the Nigerian Igbo culture, but has been found in common usage throughout most of Africa.
Notable Use:
A variation was said in the 2013 Golden Globe Awards (1/13/2013):
"It take a village to raise this very demented child."
~ Lena Dunham during her acceptance speech for "Girls"