What kinds of knowledge about themselves does douglass believe are kept from slaves, and why does he believe this is important?

Douglass believed that one of the most important types of knowledge kept from slaves was knowledge about themselves. Slaves often knew nothing about their parentage, they didn't even know their birthdays. This was important because it stripped them of individual indentity. Slave were also prevented from gaining an education, learning to read and write. These tools were withheld in order to keep them from becoming self-sufficient.