Inside The State of Us: Florie Performs "Just a Dream"

The State of Us, a Juneteenth gala and sponsorship dinner organized by St. Louis County Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb, opened its June 18, 2026 program with a welcome and then a song. Florie took the stage first, performing her original record "Just a Dream" to set the tone for a night of celebration, recognition and promise.

Held during Juneteenth, the holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States, the gala brought council members, community leaders and local officials together to honor the region's graduating high school seniors, with a special focus on celebrating the achievements of Black students. Evenings like this exist to say publicly that young people's success matters to everyone in the room.

A song about rising

That is what made "Just a Dream" feel like a statement of intent. Florie wrote and performs the song with her brother, T.A.K Music, the same sibling she made music with as a child long before Storm Records or St. Louis. It tells the story of coming from places no one expected much from and arriving somewhere entirely different.

I come from places you couldn't dream it. I'm now in spaces I don't believe it.

"Just a Dream"

For a room of graduates about to step into their next chapter, many of them the first in their families to cross a stage like that one, the message landed instantly. The chorus is built for exactly that kind of room: So I'm gonna scream it loud, shout my anthem proud, rising above the clouds.

Full circle

Sharing the song with the person who was there at the very beginning gave the performance a lived-in, full circle feeling that matched the evening's themes of legacy and what gets passed down.

It also connected the moment to the rest of Florie's work. She is the co-founder of Echoes of Africa, the founder of Floriescence and the force behind Artists for Artists STL, a community where artists support each other instead of competing in isolation. At The State of Us, performance, community building and mentorship looked like what they are for her: one instinct, not three separate lanes.