Ki-Zerbo's political activities started while he was student. He was the co-founder and president of the "Association of Upper Volta Students in France" (1950–1956). He was also the president of the "Association of African, Caribbean and Malagash Christian Students". In 1954, Ki-Zerbo published an article in the newspaper "Tam-Tam" with the title “On demande des nationalistes” (“We ask the nationalists”). In Paris, Ki-Zerbo met other intellectuals, such as the Senegalese historian Cheik Anta Diop and Abdoulaye Wade, who was later to become president of Senegal.