The figure of 2/3 isn't all that far from every other racial demographic so to say that there's an enormous disparity isn't true if you compare females vs. males graduating college or higher.
What is true is that blacks represent a higher proportion of low-income households in the United States versus all other racial groups. A disparate number of black households are low-income and people from low-income households are far less likely than people from middle or high income households to graduate college or graduate school but that doesn't statistically answer wyldgusechaz's question.
Some interesting sociological work has been done to examine the other factors contributing to the disproportionate number of black females graduating. Among those factors considered are the disproportionate number of female-headed black households, a possible cultural prohibition on males doing well in school in some low-income urban communities, perceived and actual racial discrimination by education providers, and disparate attention being paid by educators to the needs of girls over boys. In each case, there have been studies which tend to support each of these theories to some degree though no single theory seems to override the others save that a critical factor of success seems to be the support and mentorship of an older person who takes a continued interest in the success of the black male student (Marilyn J. Ross, Success Factors of Young African-American Males at a Historically Black College, 1998).
Wyldgusechaz's is a legitimate question despite my reservations about his motives. |