g ▁married ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁another ▁prominent ▁Petersburg ▁black ▁family , ▁Nell ie ▁Hill . ▁The ▁couple ▁ultimately ▁had ▁two ▁sons ▁and ▁two ▁daughters . ▁ ▁Journal ism ▁and ▁politics ▁As ▁a ▁child ▁young ▁B rag g ▁delivered ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁established ▁relationships ▁with ▁the ▁city ' s ▁white ▁leaders , ▁including ▁John ▁H amp den ▁Chamber lay ne , ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁Petersburg ▁Index , ▁and ▁political ▁al ly ▁of ▁William ▁Mah one , ▁who ▁had ▁founded ▁the ▁Read just er ▁Party ▁and ▁appe aled ▁for ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁black ▁vot ers . ▁ ▁Six ▁months ▁after ▁B rag g ▁began ▁his ▁the ological ▁studies , ▁Co oke ▁exp elled ▁him ▁for ▁" ins u fficient ▁hum ility ". ▁B rag g ▁then ▁turned ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁politics , ▁working ▁at ▁Mah one ' s ▁headquarters . ▁For ▁his ▁efforts , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁page ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁De leg ates ▁in ▁Richmond ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 - 8 2 . ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁B rag g ▁founded ▁the ▁week ly ▁Petersburg ▁Lanc et , ▁dedicated ▁to ▁civil ▁rights ▁issues . ▁However , ▁after ▁the ▁Read just er ▁Party ▁losses ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁elections , ▁B rag g ▁supported ▁a ▁black ▁candidate ▁for ▁U . S . ▁Congress , ▁who ▁lost ▁to ▁Mah one ' s ▁white ▁candidate , ▁James ▁Dennis ▁Br ady . ▁The ▁campaign ▁dis ill usion ed ▁B rag g , ▁who ▁decided