In October, The Washington Post … tried to explain why the belief is widely held in black neighborhoods that the CIA was behind the crack epidemic in the inner city of Los Angeles. “Conspiracy theories can often ring true; history feeds blacks’ mistrust,” read the Post’s headline. This apologia for African American credulity ran alongside a story that proved that the allegation about the CIA and crack was utterly unfounded. (Jeffrey Rosen, The Bloods and the Crips: O.J. Simpson, Critical Race Theory, the Law, and the Triumph of Color in America, The New Republic, 12/9/1996, p. 27.)
In his preface, Alter promises to advance a revisionist brief for Carter’s presidency. And he has some persuasive evidence [regarding Carter’s accomplishments.] But the book is no apologia. It exposes Carter’s weaknesses as well as his undervalued strengths. (David Greenberg, “The Feats and Failures of Jimmy Carter,” The New York Times, 11/1/2020.)
This word, when used in the above sense, can also be a synonym for rationale, excuse, defense or explanation.
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