You begin with a mistake. It is not a reality, and because it is not a reality, it is not disconcerting. We are told to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps all the time, even when we lack boots! Due to income disparities, we often do lack boots! If "special treatment" means getting the racist foot of our necks, then, yes, we need "special treatment." If it means being treated like everyone else, then we don't need special treatment--we need the same treatment as everyone else.