Founded as the Black Student Organization (BSO) in 1968, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) at Iowa State University is a registered student organization committed to "uplifting and empowering students of African descent through academic, professional, cultural, and social programs.” (https://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/bsa) Eighty-six Black students, beginning in December of 1967 and working through the spring of 1968, formed the BSO around the statement, "We... are inspired by a common determination to promote understanding among our people and cooperation in all matters pertaining to our survival and advancement" (annual report, 1997) and with the explicit intention of being a force for activism and political change on campus. In May of 1968, as one of their first official acts, the BSO filed grievances against the University with a demand for redress by the beginning of August. While some initial demands were met, seven student members, including student-athletes, left the University in protest.


In 1977 the organization changed its name and operated as the Black Student Government until 1992, when it changed to the Black Student Alliance. According to its constitution, the BSA "has been established to serve as a voice for the issues and concerns of students of African descent through educational, political, community service and social programs; to promote cooperation and understanding within the Black community, to encourage a sense of unity among the various organizations important to that community, and to fight racism, sexism, classism and heterosexism." In the decades since its inception, the BSA has maintained its core principle of uplifting students of African descent, with the organization's activities shifting in response to campus climate and its memberships' interests.
In 1992, the BSA organized and supported students involved in the September 29th Movement, which protested the proposed renaming of Botany Hall to honor Carrie Chapman Catt. The student protestors raised questions about Catt's political legacy, drawing attention to her statements supporting white supremacy in the United States. Although the advocacy and support of the BSA on behalf of the Movement drew censure from the Student Government, the BSA looked beyond the Iowa State campus to bring national attention to the issue, particularly the treatment of the protestors by the University.
The BSA has been a member of the Council on Black Student Government (variously the Big IIX and Big XII) since its formation in 1977, electing and sending delegates to the annual Conference, reporting on and learning from the activities of member organizations in their efforts to "promote Black culture, leadership, positive self-efficacy, political power and awareness, and goodwill of the student body and Black community on the campus of each member institution." (https://www.k-state.edu/bsu-bigxii) Programming created, provided, or sponsored by the BSA includes the education and social "Black Saturdays," begun in 1968 and carried on as "Friday After Class;" working with the Committee on Lectures to bring in speakers such as Angela Davis, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, and Nikki Giovanni; the reorganization of the Black Cultural Center on campus; the annual Harambee celebration; various food drives and community-centered charitable efforts; the BSA mentoring program; Black Love Week; and the twice-annual Black Cultural Center cleanup.